Mail Call: MailCall@517prct.org
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Administrivia:
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At any time, if you want to be added or removed from the MailCall list, just let me know.
Please note the new address for MailCall: MailCall@517prct.org I will also continue to search Ben's gmail and AOL accounts for a while as well.
Donations for any programs involving the 517th should be sent to our treasurer Leo Dean at 14 Stonehenge Lane, Albany NY 12203.
Keep sending news.
Bob Barrett
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Website www.517prct.org Mail Call MailCall@517prct.org Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
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Recent website additions: John Bradovich, HQ Company, Demo Platoon Le Muy infos magazine - selected pages of the August 2009 celebration Kenneth Goodbrake, Reg. HQ, Demo Platoon
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Regular MailCall news:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jim Ryder March 12, 2010 Airborne & Special Operations Museum 100 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville NC 28301 (910) 643-2774, pr@asomf.org The Airborne & Special Operations Museum Highlights the First Special Service Force (“Devil’s Brigade”) in the Latest Temporary Exhibit FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Airborne and Special Operations Museum proudly honors the First Special Service Force, commonly known as the Devil’s Brigade, in its new special exhibit gallery. In existence from July 1942 through December 1945, the First Special Service Force was a Canadian-American special operations outfit that participated in the Aleutian Island campaign, battles in the mountains of Italy, the Allied drive to Rome, and the sweep through southern France to the Franco-Italian border. Dreaded by its opponents, the Devil’s Brigade sacrificed heavily during its missions but contributed greatly to Allied successes in the European theater of operations, and served as a valuable template for future combined special operations. The special exhibit contains abundant information concerning the concept, formation, training, and missions of the First Special Service Force; original artifacts include Force-specific clothing, survival equipment, photos, insignia and accoutrements, and weapons like the second- and third-generation Fairbairn-Sykes knives and the “Johnson” squad machine gun; and a complete M29 Weasel made by Studebaker for a top secret mission, originally designed and built to transport Allied commando troops across the snowy regions of Europe. THE MUSEUMLocated in downtown Fayetteville, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and tells the story of Army airborne and special operations units from 1940 to the present. Museum hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon – 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday; open Federal holiday Mondays. For more information call 910.643.2774 or visit the website at www.asomf.org.
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NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS. GETTING TOO MUCH SPAM. SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE. Lou Darden louettad2010@yahoo.com
THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME. LOU
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<blchestnut@aol.com>: host air-dc.gair-dc.mail.aol.com[172.19.136.20] said: 552 5.2.2 E4.12 blchestnut MAILBOX FULL (in reply to RCPT TO command)
[All of Bruce Chesnut’s emails have been bouncing back for a while. Does anyone know if he’s OK? -- Bob]
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From: gene
frice <genesir@gmail.com>
Bob, I have forwarded an email from the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, GA. Karen and I have made an initial response to those folks and I have written a second response to them, noted below. I will be forwarding to them the information they requested. For some of our folks, to explain that .our initial pounding ground was Toccoa, GA with a later move to Camp Mackall, NC. The Toccoa friends have tracked the history of the 517th, and we owe them thanks. You may have to piece together this confused bit of correspondence. I will forward to you and the Toccoa the information they have requested. Gene Frice Let me introduce myself, Gene Frice a member of F Company, 517, since it was first organized early in 1943. My daughter Karen Frice Wallace forwarded your note to me-we only live a few miles from each other in Bend, OR. My daughters, Laurie, Karen, and Robin have been active with the 517th for many years. My sons, Gene and Mark have not been involved to any extent due to their work schedules. I viewed the information you have requested and I will proved the places and dates concerning the activities of the 517. We would be very happy to see a representative at our next reunion, 12-16 April 2010, at the Holiday Inn, Palm Springs. I will forward the flyer noting the information relating to the event. Thank your for your interest in our great 517th. I met with your organization several times over the years and happy to continue our friendship. I will contact you within the next couple of days with the requested information (It's getting late tonight)' Gene Frice, Col, USA (Retired) <genesir@gmail.com)
On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 8:23 PM, Karen Wallace <karenwski@gmail.com> wrote:
---------- Forwarded message
---------- Hi Karen,
I am the director of Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, we are in the process of changing, rearranging and adding to exhibits in the museum and need some information about the 517th for displays. We have a great display for the 517th honor due to donations from Daniel Coleman and Nello Arterburn and we welcome any items that help to tell the story of these great men. We would like to remind you to pass the word along to members of the 517th and their families that would love to have them visit the museum and attend Currahee Military Weekend in October.
We are looking into sending someone to the 517th reunion next month and could you email or mail me information about this if it is not too late.
The main thing I need right now, we are having some custom made flags made and need to know how many battles have the 517th been involved in since there activation during WWII, we need the names of each battle and years for the battle streamers to complete the flag. Do you know about this or can you forward this request to someone that can help. Thank you so much for any help with this information.
Currahee!! Brenda
Brenda J.Carlan Executive Director Currahee Military Museum Stephens County Historical Society, Inc. 706-282-5055
160 N. Alexander Street Toccoa, Georgia 30577
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Gene,
Thank you for the fast reply to our request. Another question? We sell regiment patches in our gift shop and have never been pleased with the ones we get for the 517th. They have too much pink instead of red. Do you have a good supplier for the patch?
Something else we may need soon, the company that is making the flags may need an actual patch or high resolution scan or photo of a patch, do you know someone that can provide that for us soon?
Thank each of you for your speedy reply and Gene I am glad to hear your daughters are and have been involved with your military history, I never got that opportunity as my Dad passed away when I was 18, many years ago. This is why we are trying to locate the men that trained in Toccoa and their children and grandchildren. We have a great museum and we are proud to showcase all of them, with displays and stories. I hope someday we will have a hotel large enough to accommodate your association's reunion in one location in the future. You are welcomed to visit Toccoa, Currahee Mountain and the Currahee Military Museum.
Regards, Brenda
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Hello All, Additional information relating to the history of the 517th Parachute Combat Team. Some of the following may be of research assistance to our family members seeking information on their family veteran relatives.
To: Brenda, Toccoa Historical Museum
Brenda, I was preparing the historical data you had requested and I had a brilliant thought. I do not have many of those. I thought I could best refer you directly to our unit, the 517th, it's Association, and a number of references about the unit. We have in several professional video interviews of members of the unit (within the past year). I am sure that a full and complete history will be found the many resources available-much more detailed than I can relate. I note the reference sources below:
The most concise valuable reference and right on point for your requested information (also available on internet): Entitled "short" and it is:
< htttp://www.517prct.org/documents/short_history/short_history.htm >
A more detailed history of the above publication is on the internet-as you pass through the links you will see most sources of 517 data:
<prct517------------>517 Parachute Infantry Home Page--------------->Home Page---------->click on Logo (the 517)------------->517 Unit Overview and Short History------------->A Short History (which is the printable version described above) and answers most of your questions.
As you probably know-we attended the annual "Liberation of Southern France" occasion held on 15 August. We have many photographs, maps, and related material from those gatherings-as well as many friends.
Other available data: Recent CD's available: "The 517 A Cut Above (Group Unit interviews) "The 517 A Cut Above (Personal individual interviews) "Wings, Boots, Guns and Camaraderie" (History CD produced by myself) Plus many charts, maps, photo's and other items available
Publications: "Paratroopers Odyssey-History of the 517th" Clark Archer (we have the publication available) "The Champagne Campaign" Robert Adleman and Col. George Walton (it was not a Champagne...) "Operation Dragoon-The Allied Invasion of the South of France William Beuer "The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team" Turner Publishing Company" "From Breckenridge to Bastogne" Merle McMorrow (our 517 President)
I hope you find your answers in the above material. If you need additional please call. You had inquired about the 517 patch. There are a number of versions, but the one you find on our web page is accurate. We have a source available for many of the airborne items-I will have to look up the address.
Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the 517, and on the behalf of all the other Airborne units that passed through Toccoa, where we all started our Airborne experience. The photo of the railway station as your museum remains among my many memories.
Airborne All The Way
Gene Frice, F Company, 517th
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Hi All (and history buff's) Nice note from "Currahee" Brenda of the Stephens Military Museum of Toccoa. ***If you can pick it up in the forwarding-one of the "sponsored links" you may see on the side of Brenda's email-has a fine bit of history of WWII and information on the 101,82nd, the air war over Germany. Wonderful. Wonderful and sad paintings of the airborne and air war. Try it by bringing up her mail and see if you have the above as a link-it's worth a look. Also, the Museum needs our input. Gene Frice ---------- Forwarded message
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Bob, Did you get the last two attempts to forward the Toccoa data-it became somewhat convoluted - will send the additional information for them tomorrow (good night). Regards to all. I think I noted in the flyer letter that I will likely be in DC for the 29th. Gene
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Hey
Bob,
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Ben’s service will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, April 29 at 2:00 PM.
We are still working on selecting a hotel, and hopefully getting discount rates for family and friends at a decent hotel in the area. It looks like we can have a short ceremony and a gathering at the Women’s Memorial within ANC. The family will probably do a dinner afterwards, and we’re seeing if we can arrange for room for all our good friends of the 517th who are staying in town overnight and would like to join us. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a good old-fashioned Irish wake continuing at the hotel later on. I will let you know when we confirm the details.
Bob B.
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Bob, Just a thought, Aren’t all the mail calls on the 517 Website??? If so, couldn’t everyone who is interested peruse the site to view what was sent? This would eliminate all the problems that you are experiencing with regards to e-mail distribution, and reduce a lot of work. Thanks j Jay Sutcliffe
[Yes, old MailCalls are always on the website at www.517prct.org/archives. But it appears that new MailCalls are getting delivered OK. For now. – Bob B.]
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Hi Bob and
family,
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Bob, Yesterday I received this email from Bill and Jennifer Anderson, his Dad was John Anderson of F Company. I am not sure if Bill is on Mail Call and I don’t want to upstage anything he may have sent in, but I wanted our 517th family to know of John's passing.
Lory,
John Anderson was a great man and it was my privilege to meet him in Chicago traveling to the D.C. reunion and once again see him in Salt Lake City. This is what I wrote about John in my Dad's book, Letters Home, A Paratroopers Story.
"On June 28, 2007, I was at the Chicago airport waiting to fly to Washington, D.C. to attend the 517th reunion. There I was fortunate to meet with a 517th trooper, John Anderson, of “F” Company. With his son Bill Anderson, he told us of a day when LT Lissner took them on a 20 mile force march. John Anderson, said, “We wore our helmet, pack, and carried our rifle. We were instructed to have NO water in our canteens. While on the march about 10 or 12 miles a trooper named Fred Winke was drinking water from his canteen. LT Lissner quickly told him to stop drinking the water, and to pour it out of his canteen. When we got back to camp PVT Winke was processed out of the 517th. I never saw him again.”
Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1st Bn
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Hi Bob: I really want to express my sincere appreciation for adding my name to those of the 517th to your Mail Calls. I almost feel that I am a member of the 517th because of all the years that I visited with your Dad when he told me so much about the outfit.I miss those visits so much. He was a wonderful guy and a great friend. Thanks so much. Ed Lincoln
[Ed Lincoln is a neighbor and friend of Ben’s from Cohasset. – Bob]
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Bob,
Myrle had his pacemaker put in and is doing fine. I brought him home from the hospital yesterday. This video was sent to us and we want to share it with the 517th. Betty Traver
WE NEED A LITTLE MORE OF THIS !!!!!!!
A TRUE AMERICAN AND A REAL STAR
A REAL STAR
In early 1940, Kate Smith, a fiercely patriotic American, and the biggest star on radio, was deeply worried about her country. She asked Irving Berlin if he could give her a song that would reignite the spirit of American patriotism and faith. He said he had a song that he had written in 1917, but never used it. He said she could have it. She sat at the piano & played it and realized how good it was. She called Mr. Berlin and told him that she couldn't take this from him for nothing. So, they agreed that any money that would be made off the song would be donated to the Boy Scouts of America. Thanks to Kate Smith and Irving Berlin, the Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties.
This clip is from the movie "You're in the Army Now". You will see a familiar face in this--one that we are all very proud of. Frank Sinatra said that when Kate Smith, whom he considered the greatest singer of his age, first sang this song on the radio, a million guys got 'dust' in their eyes and had to wipe the tears the 'dust' cost.
If you can watch and listen without 'dust' getting in your eyes, you have no soul. Sit back and enjoy a Real Star.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnQDW-NMaRs
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Dear Bob, Thanks for sticking with the computer problems that would have thrown anyone else off the track. You are coming through loud and clear. It is a real service to all of us.
I will be with you in spirit on the 29th.
Highest regards to all the family, Howard Hensleigh
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Good Morning Bob,
Hope all of you are doing well. Think of you daily.
April 12th is coming up
quickly. I would like to remind all of our troopers and families
that the deadline for the hotel for rooms at the Palm
Springs reunion (to get the good
rate) is April 1st. We have quite a few registered already and
should be a great turnout. Please consider attending, we
always have a wonderful time. Bill has always kept it
relaxed and we just enjoy times together. We plan on keeping it that
way. We do have a new location from last year. We will be at
the Holiday Inn, the same place we held it a few years ago, all newly
updated and remodeled. The hotel will keep us all on the ground
floor if that is what you would like. The Organizing Group (TOG)
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509th PIB at the airfields
Kind regards Gilles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx_q97Pimfk&feature=player_embedded
Gilles Guignard
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Gilles has done many other videos for the 517th. Here is one:
517th PRCT - A Company - Canino Airfield - Italy Aug 14, 1944
Here is an index of a whole bunch of 517 videos on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=517th&search_type=&aq=f
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I got some sad news yesterday. Phoebe Gauthier died. She was the wife of Cameron who was Association President in 1979-1981.
Merle
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Send more news!