Subj: Thanks
Date: 12/13/2001 8:12:43
PM Eastern Standard Time
From: mtrjvarner@netscape.net
Ben, I wanted to drop a line and say thank you to
you and the service you provide. Through your web-site I was able to make
contact with a couple of great guys who happened to be friends with my dad, Jim
Varner, during their time in the service. Through their help and willingness to
answer my questions, I was able to do a pretty good job on a research paper
concerning my dad and his time in the army. So thanks to all. Especially Ray
Hess and Randolph Coleman for their willingness to share. Thanks also to Cal
Johns who was friends with my dad for years, but didn't even know they were in
the 517 together until my dad's death in '86. So this note is not only to you
Ben and the others for their help, it is to those family members who are looking
for info. Don't worry, if anyone out there knows anything about the person you
are wondering about, they will give you any help they can, or point you in the
right direction. Don't give up before the miracle happens. Anyway thanks again,!
God Bless, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
In Christ,
Mike Varner
*****************
We have an excellent photo
of Jim Warner in the photo's page on the website
____________________________________________________________________________________________________Subj:
CACKLE
Date: 12/13/2001 10:05:59 PM Eastern
Standard Time
From: flip@strato.net
Ben,
A farmer
like me could care less about what is proper language for GI's laying on deck
under blankets. All I am interesting in is when my old hen cackles, is
she laying or lying?
Floyd L.
Polk
___________________________________________________________________________
Subj: Re:
Date: 12/14/2001
11:25:07 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To: littlebill01@msn.com
CC: Ben517@aol.com
Dear Bill,
When I finished my message
yesterday, I realized that I did not cover the area in which you had the
greatest interest--your Dad personally. I remember his name and probably
went on patrol with him. I know I Co. did its jobs well and on time.
He was part of that. I would give Frank Dallas a try; he might surprise
you. If I have any further recollections, you will get them.
We were to parachute in
around Worms in the crossing of the Rhine. Patton broke through driving 50
miles in one day. He crossed at Worms and our jump was called off. I
went awol from the hospital to get there for the jump and Lt. Col. Paxton
hurried me back to the hospital when I wasn't need any more for the
operation. That may be the bridge your Dad mentioned. There were
many other bridges that had an impact, so I'm not sure which one your Dad had in
mind.
We could say that the 517th didn't break up until it was
deactivated in early 1946, I believe. Some of the officers and men who
were there in the beginning were there at the end. That isn't the whole
story. The high point men had a choice to leave at Joigny after the war in
Europe was over. Many did. If your Dad left on points then, he would
have gone to the 82nd or some other outfit. If he stayed he would have
come home in August 1945 with 30, extended to 45, days at home and then to the
Pacific. The war ended when we were on the high seas headed home, so we
were in the States and stayed there before the high point men, before the high
point men got home. That's the way things went and a person could never
accurately anticipate events.
We appreciate your interest
in the outfit, and particularly your father's part of it. You are a
devoted son and should be commended. I decided that some others
might be interested in this so put Ben on for a copy.
Howard Hensleigh
----- Original Message -----
From: william cornett
To: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 10:21 PM
Howard;
Thanks so much for the quick reply. These are the things that I need to know about the 517th, and of course, the things that my father, and the rest of you were up against. Dad never said much about his experience's with the 517th, and WWII. I have learned some from Fred Beyer, and know that Dad and Frank Dallas were friends, but also know that Frank is not in the best of health, , but I'm still thinking about calling him on the phone, he might just surprise me. I have Dad's address book, and some of the guys he was friends with names are in it, Frank's is one of them.
Sometime after the Bulge, into Germany, there was a bridge, the last one over the Rine, I remember that Dad said he was there, do you remember that? Was the 517th still intact then?
I have my father's things from the war, jump knife, nylon map, medals (I sent for them after he died), shoulder patches (517th, 82nd, 13th AB), the American flag shoulder patch from the jump into southern France, complete with spray paint camo, some German stuff (belt buckles, mothers medal, some kind of German medal I can't seem to identify), motel room keys from Nice, and pictures he took throughout his time with the 517th. All of this stuff is of great importance to me, I only wish he would have talked more about it. This is what you guys must do now, or a lot of the most important things that happened will be lost. What you guys did to preserve our freedom, and the freedom of the world must be saved. I'm only sorry that my father is not here to see you WWII vets get the recognition that you deserve, it is such a great thing.
Your Friend,
Bill Cornett
Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO. 196 517th PRCT
Date:
12/14/2001 12:55:37 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
Dear Boom Boom, Youse guys from the
Broklyn--Bronx and doity Goity choipin and boipin at the boidies were all
right. One thing the Service taught us is that good guys come from all
parts. Some even got used to us midwesterners. Howard
Hensleigh
________________________________________________________________________
Subj:
Date: 12/14/2001 8:18:00 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: chrcook@juno.com
To: chris.lindner@lycos.com
CC: Ben517@aol.com
Hi Chris, If you go to our website, you will see
that I am in charge of
our mini reunion in Kissimmee. Sorry you can't be
there. I found the
small pamphlet that was given to us as we were leaving
France. It is a
brief history of the 517th. There is a place for autographs.
Your father
Nate signed his name in my book, along with Jess Pipkin, Louis
Scaringi,
Eugene McGehee, Dave Grange, Joe Stim, Wayne R.
Webb, John
Gulbranson, Clifton Riggins, Virgilio Roel from Laredo TX Who I have
been
trying to remember for over fifty years, and others who I
haven't
identified as yet. I will bring it to Kissimmee. Bob
Christie
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Subj:
Date: 12/14/2001 8:30:26 PM Eastern
Standard Time
From: chrcook@juno.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Ben, The Dardens confirmed their reservations
and plan to go to the
Arabian Nights as well as the Coffmans. I will have to
check with the
Ramada to see if some have reserved rooms without notifying
me. That
happened last year. We are having summer weather. Wish it would cool
off
a bit. Also Jim Royer confirmed. Said he read about it in the
Static
Line. Thanks to Don. I have asked the Hotel to extend our
deadline for
making reservations. The original deadline was the 20th of
December. Sorry
that H Bobarry Saunders can't make
it.
____________________________________________________________________________
Subj: Fw: Fwd: Women Warriors
Date:
12/14/2001 8:46:36 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: gwtayler@juno.com
Ben, the attached is from Flippie (M.S. Swenson),
Bob Sink's (506th)
daughter, and my lifetime friend. I think you will
enjoy, at least the
women will!
HAVE A WONDERFUL AND SAFE HOLIDAY
SEASON!
Gail Walsh Tayler
Take all American women who are within five years of
menopause - train us for a few weeks, outfit us with automatic weapons,
grenades, gas masks, moisturizer with SPF15, Prozac, hormones, chocolate, and
canned tuna - drop us (parachuted, preferably) across the landscape of
Afghanistan, and let us do what comes naturally.
Think about
it.
Our anger quotient alone, even when doing standard stuff like grocery
shopping and paying bills, is formidable enough to make even armed men in
turbans tremble.
We've had our children, we would gladly suffer or die to
protect them and their future. We'd like to get away from our husbands, if
they haven't left already. And for those of us who are single, the prospect of
finding a good man with whom to share life is about as likely as being struck by
lightning. We have nothing to lose.
We've survived the water diet,
the protein diet, the carbohydrate diet, and the grapefruit diet in gyms and
saunas across America and never lost a pound. We can easily survive months in
the hostile terrain of Afghanistan with no food at all.
We've spent years
tracking down our husbands or lovers in bars, hardware stores, or sporting
events...finding bin Laden in some cave will be no problem.
Uniting all
the warring tribes of Afghanistan in a new government? Oh, please ... we've
planned the seating arrangements for in-laws and extended families at
Thanksgiving dinners for years ... we understand tribal warfare.
Between
us, we've divorced enough husbands to know every trick there is for how
they hide, launder, or cover up bank accounts and money sources. We know how to
find that money and we know how to seize it ... with or without the government's
help.
Let us go and fight. The Taliban hates women. Imagine their terror
as we crawl like ants with hot-flashes over their godforsaken terrain. I'm going
to write my Congresswoman. You should,
too.