Hello,

    Glad that the Military is doing so well and having so few casualties in Afghanistan and that the wounded are taken care immediately. However, the media is something else.
   Friendly fire is not friendly when it is incoming regardless of the source. In the attack on Manhay, the 3rd battalion had at least 10 KIA from artillery falling short. -----No congressional inquiry.---- The point of departure could have been back fifty yards and then there would have been no such casualties but the extra moments perhaps could have allowed the Germans to recover and if they could have set up just one machine gun there might have been fifty casualties. Later we were straffed by American planes and had more casualties. ----No media outrage----. Many a 517th soldier stepped on a land mine.----- Occupational hazard.---- A wounded soldier would in many cases just lay there until he was dragged or carried to an aid station, then to a field hospital and eventually to a general hospital and after many months put on a hospital ship escorted by destroyers because of the threat from German submarines and shipped back to the states on a slow voyage. No complaints. It was rough but we didn't know rough. No mass media to tell us. Fortunately we had Ernie Pyle and Bill Mauldin who could make us laugh at our dire situations.

It's getting late to make plans for the reunion Jan. 20. We have several members from the West Coast coming to the reunion as well as many children, grandchildren and friends.
Ben

Website--------------members.aol.com/prct517/

Mail Call--------------Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Date: 12/16/2001 4:19:32 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Omega173

To Ben and everyone on the Mailcall:

I just want to thank everyone for participating in the mailcall, and especially thank Ben for keeping it going.  I enjoy reading the mailcall, hearing everyone's insights on current events and the various recollections of past events. 

My grandfather, Julius B. Talarico, Sgt., HQ co., MG platoon, passed away in 1980, but his brother, George Talarico, Gunner, HQ co., MG platoon, is still around and, despite recent setbacks, is doing fairly well.  I've tried to get him online, but he's not interested in the internet.  He currently has trouble getting about, but I would be happy to relay any messages anyone might have to send.  My uncle, Jul Talarico (Julius's eldest son), and I have been trying to reconstruct their experiences during the war.  The many interviews Keenie (medic, C co.?) has done over the years have been a great help in this (the three of them were great friends and had the surreal experience of joining, serving and RETURNING together).  The mailcall has also been a wonderful help in verifying details and locating further sources.  If anyone can relate any additional memories of the three of them, we would be very grateful.

Merry Christmas to all of you, and to those of you who have served: THANK YOU!!!!!

Matthew Myers
milegrinder@msn.com

ps. BEN: please discontinue sending mailcall to omega173@aol.com.  my new address is milegrinder@msn.com.  THANKS!
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Subj: Edward Meise
Date: 12/16/2001 5:04:16 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Kmeisear15
To: Ben517
 

I asked my father why he was not in the close up picture from Camp Toccoa and he said possibly the pic was taken early. He said he was in "service" company for 2 months as he was a sewing machine mechanic and he had a fight with a sergeant and he was then put into the 517th.The picture may have been taken before he got transferred into it.  Sergeant Rock's son emailed me, and he I asked my father if he was friends with Seargent Rock and my father said they were good friends and he said they all were friends. He remembers Rock as tall..  My father said he liked Rock.  My father also said he had a close drinking buddy, but he can't remember his name even though they were very close friends.  He does remember Nolan Powell and Reiber(?) and a few more names including the officers.  When I get my father's army stuff back I'll send in some stuff including a pic of dad in his uniform.  It's a close up so someone probably will recognize him.  Allan Johnson, if you read this feel free to send the pic to Ben so he can post it on the computer and send a few letters, don't worry if they get lost, will not hold you responsible at all.
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HAPPY HOLIIDAYS TO THE 517TH
Date: 12/16/2001 3:24:52 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: chris.lindner@lycos.com
Dear Ben:

I just want to wish everyone in the 517th and any relatives to those who fought in with the 517th a wonderful Holiday Season.  I want to thank you for having this web-site for all of us who have found out so much about our Father's and other relatives.  I cannot tell you how much it has meant to me to finally find out the information that my Dad never talked about. I must say I have definitely admire what all of the men of the 517th have done for us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY 2002

Chris Lindner
(Nathan Rubenstein's daughter)
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Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO. 198 517TH PRCT
Date: 12/17/2001 12:28:58 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To: Ben517@aol.com

Here is a little more about the point system and medals. 

As I recall each award of a medal added 5 points.  There were many who deserved medals and didn't get them.  Frank Dallas just recently received the Silver Star for wiping out the resistance in taking Monteroux (sp?) in S. France.  It is too bad he didn't have that ribbon on his uniform during his long years of service.  With most medals you either got it or you didn't.  The outfit moved on and we concentrated on the next engagement, rather than looking back.  The typewriters were a long way in the rear. 

There was one five pointer that caused a lot of troopers to look back to wounds they received, but went on bandaged up a little to the next action.  Sometimes they did this to avoid the risk of being sent to the hospital when they wanted to stay with the outfit.  With the war in Europe finished, and when five points was an additional reward, the applications flooded in.  On a Saturday afternoon in Joigny, Mel Zais sent an order down to contact all Purple Heart applicants immediately.  That order landed on my desk, as the as of then appointed chairman of the Purple Heart Board of Inquiry.  My two S-3 Sgts. Beer and Chalk had spent that week in England.  Their chances for leave came through at the same time.  I didn't interfere with their opportunity to see England and Scotland.  We took what we could when it was offered;  there might never be another chance.  They had a great time but I had my hands full all week without them, and Saturday afternoon was a time a soldier (out of combat or guard duty) thought of as his own.  That meant two things.  My afternoon was a goner and I would be trying to run down people who were long gone to greener pastures. 

We did a good job of determining who actually deserved a purple heart and who didn't.  As I recall Dan Dickinson, the MD who made his first jump in combat, was good at looking at scars and determining whether they were fresh enough to pass the test.  We added a goodly number of five pointers to men who deserved them. 

This was part of the point system.  Perhaps we should have had a few more Boards of Inquiry to award even more meritorious acts than taking a round or some shrapnel by being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or like Reagan forgetting to duck.  This is not to demean the medal.  We hear a lot today about being in harm's way.  You had to be in harm's way to get a Purple Heart.  Howard Hensleigh
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Subj: Edward Albort
Date: 12/17/2001 2:54:42 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: jdbutler@myexcel.com

Greetings Ben to you and yours,  It is of great interest to me to know
if Edward Albort is still living.  While speaking to "Doc" Lecklider
yesterday, I asked if he remembered an American Indian in A Co.  He said
that he did, and gave me his name. He also told me that his nickname was
"Chief".   The reason I asked was because, "Chief" was responsible for
saving my life during the Battle of the Bulge.
If anyone knows of his status, address, phone number, etc., please let
me know. You can write "Mail Call", my e-mail address, or call my toll
free number: 877-743=1588.    Please let me hear from someone.  Kindest
regards, jdbutler@ myexcell. com


________________________December 1944 ________________________

Lettre du Général McAuliffe datée du 24 decembre 1944 :
general Mcauliffe’s letter, dated December 24, 1944
" Merry Christmas "

Headquarters 101st Airborne Division
Office of the Division Commander - 24 December 1944

What's Merry about all this, you ask ? We are fighting - it's cold, we are not home. All true but what has the proud Eagle Division accomplished with its worthy comrades of the 10th Armored Division, the 705th Destroyer Battalion and all the rest ? Just this: We have stopped cold everything that has been thrown at us from the North, East, South and West. We have identifications from four German Panzer Divisions, two German Infantry Divisions and one German Parachute Division. These units spearheading the last desperate German lunge, were headed straight West for key points when
the Eagle Division was hurriedly ordered to stem the advance. How effectively this was done will be written in History; not alone in our Division's glorious History but in World History. The Germans actually did surround us,
their radios blared our doom. Their Commander demanded our surrender in the following impudent arrogance.

December 22nd 1944

To the U.S.A. Commander of the encircled town of Bastogne,

The fortune of war is changing, This time the U.S.A. forces in and near Bastogne have been encircled by strong German armored units. More German armored units have crossed the river Ourthe near Ortheuville, have taken
Marche and reached St. Hubert by passing through Hompré-Sibret-Tillet. Libramont is in German hands.
There is only one possibility to save the encircled U.S.A. Troops from total annihilation: that is honorable surrender of the encircled town. In order to think it over a term of two hours will be granted beginning with
the presentation of this note. If this proposal should be rejected, one German Artillery Corps and six
heavy A.A. Battalions are ready to annihilate the U.S.A. Troops in and near Bastogne. The order for firing will be given immediately after this two hour's term.
All the serious civilian losses caused by this Artillery fire would not correspond will the well known American humanity.

The German Commander

The German Commander received the following reply:

22 December 1944
"To the German Commander:
N U T S !

The American Commander

Allied Troops are counterattacking in Force. We continue to hold Bastogne. By holding Bastogne, we assure the success of the Allied Armies. We know that our Division Commander, General Taylor, will say: " Well done !" We are giving our Country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present and being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms are truly making for ourselves a Merry Christmas.

(signed)
McAuliffe,

Commanding.