From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 12:00 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 1933 -517TH PRCT- DECEMBER 12, 2009
70 Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA. 02025 ,781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben Barrett  Ben517@aol.com 

 
Hello                     http://bands.army.mil/music/bugle/calls/mailcall.mp3< Click on
 
Please make reservations for Florida Reunion Jan. 16, as soon as possible . Host has to make  down payment  for banquet.
 
Please do not  send downloads when just an email will do.
 
Please send links  when possible. It saves me for searching for the link and saves space on Mail Call.
 
Donations for whatever program involving the 517th should be sent to our treasurer Leo Dean at 14 Stonehenge Lane, Albany 12203
 
Please let me know if you want to receive Mail Calls or if you have a problem receiving them. You can always read back Mail Calls  by clicking on www.517prct.org/archives
 Ben
Website                                www.517prct.org  
Mail Call                               Ben517@aol.com
Mail Call Archives               www.517prct.org/archives
Roster                                  www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
Howard Hensleigh
Ben,  Every time I read Dick Spencer's poem printed in this Mail Call, I get a lump in my throat.  "Art Riddler" scribbled in the margin is the man Dick is talking about.  Art was killed and Dick wounded on the first attempt of G Co. to take Ridge X running South from Col de Braus which dominates the "Sospel Valley".  G Co. did take Ridge X the next day or so and those who have seen, or better yet climbed, it can visualize the guts it took to scale the heights of that ridge with German fire raining down on the platoons in the attack.  Art was company exec, but preferred to lead troops in the attack.  We thought a lot of him and Dick's poem says it all.  Dick was a genius at putting things into words and cartoons.  Howard Hensleigh 

Tom Copsey
For Gilles

Just picked up your St Cezaire video/slide piece (been on travel the last 2 weeks) - great, great job!!  Thanks so much for your devotion to the 517th and the airborne community.  Being at St Cezaire was especially meaningful for me considering Company I's involvement there.

For those who have not met Gilles - he is a very energetic historian/researcher/reenactor who provided us intimate details of the events, landscape, and happenings at St Cezaire as well as at the other battlefields.  Plus he provided the most thrilling Swiss jeep ride Mel and I ever had.

God bless you GIlles and happy holidays to you and all your French/Swiss/Belgian reenactor comrades!

Tom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-dJIwzgAOs

Amen! "You can say that again"- Ben

Merle McMorrow

Ben:
 
I sent pictures and a final Bio yesterday.  I shouldn't have switched from wheels to runners on the sled so soon.  We have no snow as yet but the dogs are ready to go.
Jay Sutcliffe
Ben,

This is for Brad Stewart, which picture are you referring to when you said, “My dad is on the right”?

Jay Sutcliffe,

The picture labeled "Trooper 6" ...Lt Mark A. Stewart is on the right, closer to what looks like some kind of support pole. 

Brad Stewart

Bob Cooper

 Ben  don't know if you want to put this in mail call or not

 

Mayor Ballard's Salute to World War II Veterans

 

Saturday, December 12, 2009

 

American Legion Post

601 S Holt Road

 

SCRIPT

 

1:20p                       Program participants take designated seats at front of hall

 

1:25p                       Band concludes

                                Band director asks guests to please find a seat as the program will begin in 5 minutes

 

1:30p                       MC Robert Cooper proceeds to the microphone and welcomes guests Welcome

                               

COOPER              Good afternoon, I am Robert Cooper and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Mayor Greg Ballard's Salute to World War II Veterans and their families.  Thanks to all of you for attending.

 

                                Please rise for our prayer, to be delivered by James Cartwright, the presentation and posting of the colors by the Indiana Army National Guard Color Guard, and the Pledge of Allegiance to be given by Kenneth Dowden.

 

1:31p                       James Cartwright steps to the microphone and delivers the prayer

 

CARTWRIGHT   Good afternoon. Please join me in prayer.

 

                                PRAYER

 

1:34p                       Presentation of Colors

 

COLOR Call to attention by unit commander and posts colors

GUARD

 

1:39p                       Kenneth Dowden steps to the podium to lead us in the Pledge

 

DOWDEN             Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance

 

                                PLEDGE

 

                                Cartwright and Dowden return to their seats                 

 

1:43p                       Cooper introduces Veteran from Battle of the Bulge, John Brown

                               

COOPER              Ladies and Gentlemen, during today's program we will hear remarks from two veterans who served our Country during World War II, one who served in the Pacific Theatre and one in the European Theatre.  Our first honored speaker is John Brown, a member of the 26th Infantry Division who served in General Patton's 3rd Army.  He was in both the Battle of the Bulge and Battle of Rhineland.  Please join me in welcoming a true hero, John Brown.

 

                                Brown rises and steps to the microphone

 

BROWN               Thanks, Robert …..DELIVERS REMARKS

                               

1:49p                       Brown concludes remarks and returns to seat

 

1:50p                       Cooper introduces Veteran of USS Indianapolis, James O'Donnell

 

COOPER              Thanks so much for your service to our Country and for sharing your comments today, John.

 

Our next honored speaker served the citizens of Indianapolis for 35 years, risking his life each day as a firefighter.  James O'Donnell's  bravery started much earlier as a crew member aboard the USS Indianapolis, serving as a Water Tender 3rd Class.  He saw action in the Battles of Marianas, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and was on the Indianapolis the night it was hit by Japanese torpedoes.  Jimmy was the only survivor of the ship from Indianapolis.  Let's shown our appreciation for another Indianapolis hero, Jimmy O'Donnell.

 

O'Donnell rises and steps to the microphone

 

O'DONNELL       Thank you…. DELIVERS REMARKS

 

1:56p                       O'Donnell concludes remarks and returns to seat

 

1:57p                       Cooper introduces Mayor Greg Ballard

 

COOPER              Jimmy, we are so proud of your service to our City, State and Nation.  Thank you for being here today.

 

                                Our final speaker really needs no introduction, especially to our veteran community.  We are here today to honor the courageous veterans due to the efforts of our great Mayor, Greg Ballard, who is himself a retired Marine Lt. Colonel.  Since taking office in January, 2008, the Mayor has worked tirelessly to make sure veterans and their families receive the recognition and respect they have earned for their service and sacrifice to our Country.  Please give a warm welcome to Mayor Greg Ballard.

 

                                Ballard rises from his seat and steps to the podium

 

BALLARD            Thanks so much, Robert…DELIVERS REMARKS

 

Ballard CONCLUDES REMARKS …continues with challenge coin presentation

 

BALLARD            John Cartwright and Jimmy O'Donnell, all who are gathered here are in awe of your courageous service.  Even though you have said you were just doing your jobs, we cannot take for granted what you and countless others like you did to keep us free.  We can never repay you for your selfless sacrifices to keep us safe, but we can give you and your fellow veterans who are here today a small token of our appreciation for your service to our country.  To commemorate today's ceremony and to serve as a lasting "thank you" for the service you have given, a number of generous donors have underwritten the production of a specially designed Challenge Coin, which we have turned into a pendant.  Will all World War II veterans please rise and come to the front to receive your well-deserved honor.    

 

2:05p                       Veterans proceed to front to receive challenge coin pendants

 

                                Ballard distributes pendants assisted by  General Goodwin and JROTC members

 

BALLARD            Thanks, gentlemen.  Let's give these courageous heroes another round of applause to show our appreciation.

 

                                Audience applauds.

 

2:11p                       Ballard asks the surviving family members of those who served in WWII to stand, be recognized

 

BALLARD            We know there are some families who are here representing those veterans who have passed away, and we would like to recognize your loved one's service to our country.   Would a representative of those surviving families please come forward to receive a Challenge Coin. 

 

                                Family members proceed to front to receive challenge coins

 

                                Ballard  distributes coins assisted by General Goodwin and JROTC members

 

                                Ballard and others return to seats

 

2:16p                       Robert Cooper announces the conclusion of the formal program

 

COOPER              Thank you, Mayor Ballard, for recognizing the service of these great men.

 

                                This concludes our formal program. I invite you to kick back and enjoy some World War II era inspired dessert of peaches and pound cake while you listen to the songs of The Andrews Sisters, from the Actors Theatre of Indiana, and the music of the Ben Davis Jazz Band. At the conclusion of the performances we will pause to retire the colors.

 

                                And during our musical program we are pleased to distribute Thank You notes written by students from Warren and Wayne Township Schools to our veterans and surviving family members. 

                               

2:17p                       Ceremony Concludes

 

2:18p                       Andrews Sisters take the stage

 

                                JROTC passes out letters to veterans and families

 

2:41p                       Sisters Act concludes

 

                                Jazz Band  takes stage and begins to play

               

2:56p                       Jazz Band concludes

 

BAND

DIRECTOR          Thanks to everyone for joining us.  Would you please stand for the retiring of the colors

 

2:57p                       Retiring of the Colors

 

COLOR Call to attention and retiring of the colors

GUARD                                                

                               

3:00p                       Cooper thanks guests for attending and wishes everyone Happy Holidays

                               

COOPER              Thank you for being with us this afternoon.  God Bless you and Happy Holidays to you and yours.  

 

Event Concludes