Administrivia:

¨     If you have trouble reading this MailCall, or seeing the images, you can read it online at http://www.517prct.org/mailcall/1990.htm

¨     At any time, if you want to be added or removed from the MailCall list, just let me know.

¨     Donations for any programs involving the 517th should be sent to our treasurer Leo Dean at 14 Stonehenge Lane, Albany NY  12203.

¨     New address for MailCall:  MailCall@517prct.org  I will also continue to search Ben's gmail and AOL accounts for a while as well. 

¨     If you send me email that you do not want included in MailCall, just label it as “FYEO”.

¨     I now understand how Ben could get confused about what he already posted and what he didn’t.  If I miss something, please just send it again.

Bob Barrett

Website                                           www.517prct.org

Mail Call                                   MailCall@517prct.org

Mail Call Archives            www.517prct.org/archives

Roster                            www.517prct.org/roster.pdf

Recent website additions:

Robert Kennedy, F Company biography

Ray Hess, F Company biography

1943 May 10 - Letter to parents of new recruits from Lt. McKinley

Officers of the 2nd Battalion at Camp Toccoa, 1943

Arlton Bearden, Demo Platoon, I Company (KIA Italy)

Video of A Company in Italy, Aug 14, 1944

Le Muy infos magazine - selected pages of the August 2009 celebration

MailCall News

Hi Bobby,

Spoke with Merle McMorrow, who is at the Palm Springs mini reunion. Merle asked that I put the updated list of 517 attending Dad's service in mail call . The 32 confirmed are below. 

JohnCoffee, Neal Hobson and Craig Singhaus are with the WWII Airborne Historical Company and Corey Mace, Luca Vinyard and Terri Marrone are with the CAJT.

In addition there are currently 43 family, relatives and friends attending.

Again, if anyone else is interested in attending the service please contact Joanne at addiejb@gmail.com or 781 383 8088 

Bobby,

Do you know where I can get some Paratrooper Odyssey books?  My friend wants to bring them to DC for autographs

Joanne

[Does anyone know if there is a supply left?  -- BB]

Hey, Bob -

You are doing such a great job on Mail Call!  After a bit of a drop off in news, it looks like our vets and their interested relatives are back at it with regular submissions.

As I write, vets and families are gathering for the Palm Springs Party.  Leo Dean should already be out there - Dad (Allan Johnson 596) leaves early tomorrow morning.  Leo has a skydive scheduled for tomorrow.  I know that the organizers - well, mostly Karen Frice Wallace - have worked hard to make this a great time for the troopers.  Enjoy - have fun - enjoy this special time together.

Next reunion is January, 2011 in Kissimmee - only 9 months away!

Hugs to our favorite vets -

Claire Giblin 

My father, Robert Kennedy, had written this story from his life a while back.  He asked that I forward it to you per a request made to gather stories from the 517 guys.  See file attached.

Sandy Alderman

[I finally posted Robert Kennedy’s bio:  http://www.517prct.org/bios/robert_kennedy/robert_kennedy.htm . – BB]

I am reporting the passing of one of our great comrades  Bill Shortt of Cornelis, GA,  March 7, 2010 Served in the Regt Hdq Co. S-2    517 Parachute Inf, Regt. Combat Team with me.

Tom McAvoy

Dear Bob, I sent an E-Mail to you of Bill Shortt’s  passing and what Co. he was in?   Please place it in mail call, for the sake of his wife, Lois  Shortt.  My computer took a notion to crash and I was unable to send it for 4 days.

Tom McAvoy

Hello Bob,

I did receive the mail call email on the second attempt. Thank you. I sent this a couple days ago with the other information that you posted on April 11th mail call. Might have not made to you. Here are some autographs that my Uncle, Cpl Stephen R. Stepek collected on the ship home (SS Oneida Victory) 13 August 1945. Some are difficult to read.

By the way, He was 29 yrs old when he enlisted....much older than the average soldier. Anyone who wants to get in touch with me can call or email.

Thanks,

Jamie Evanish

412-793-5957

je75main@gmail.com

517th in la colle sur Loup

i am looking for an event that happened at la colle sur Loup, in Southern France, did anybody heard about a jeep with 4 paratroopers came just after the germans had left but a few did not and shoot at the jeep, killing one and injuring one?

i have a story about this fact if somebody can help me out identifying the troopers killed and injured.


regards

Greg N

Gregory Negro [gregnegro@hotmail.com]

I am looking since a long time now for HILL 105 near by Cannes where the 551st PIB had a lot of casualties against a rude german defense.

please help me to locate HILL 105

best regards to all

Greg N

Gregory Negro [gregnegro@hotmail.com]

AIRBORNE AWARDS FESTIVAL 

I returned Sunday from four days of a great Awards Banquet put on by the Static Line Magazine in Atlanta.  Most of you know that Don Lassen was the editor of this publication for many years.  When he passed on  in 2009 his right hand, Annette took over as Editor and didn't miss a beat.  She and her crew must have worked 24/7 for months to put on a first class show for us.  For those of you that don't know, the Static Line encompasses all the Airborne units from the Test Platoon on.  All of you should consider coming to this annual event as there are no strangers in the Airborne family.

There were only three of us in attendance from the 517 PRCT.  General Seitz took me under his wing and General David Grange came for the Banquet.  It was really great to see them and spend time with them.  Most of you know and love Dick Seitz but what most of us didn't know is he is respected and known by Generals down to the enlisted men.  In hanging out with him, people were coming up to him that hadn't seen him in many years to shake his hand and talk.  When we were at Fort Benning we ran into Major General Ferriter, Commander of Fort Benning, they reminisced about seeing each other in church at Fort Riley when General Ferriter was still a Lieutenant.

On Friday we took buses down to Fort Benning for a demonstration of modern Airborne Training.  They showed us the new parachute (T-11) that will carry 400 pounds and is 36 feet in diameter.  Ours was 24 feet and carried 200 pounds.  Most of us that jumped into combat had the same comment, "The new chute is so slow we would be sitting ducks".  We then went to the Airborne Walk and it is beautiful, and yes the 517 has a monument there.  They served us a super lunch and then on to the National Infantry Museum.

The museum is bran new and beautiful.  You could spend two days there and never see it all.  If your in the area this is a must see!  I was also very impressed by the kids on active duty.  They are well trained and will answer the call if needed.

Oh yes, I almost forgot.  I was awarded the 517 Man of the Year Award.

Darrell Egner

Good Morning Bob: I want to thank you for putting “my days in the Army” in the 517^th web page. I must make one correction. In the first picture shown, the fellow circled is Bernie Ness of “F” Co and now deceased. I am in the same photo but the fifteenth man in the first row.     

Best regards Ray R Hess.

RayHess rayhessr@ptd.net

[Ness, Hess.  I was close.  I fixed the photo on Ray’s bio at:  http://www.517prct.org/bios/ray_hess/ray_hess.htm -- BB]

From: natalie@webstudies.org [mailto:natalie@webstudies.org]

Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 1:29 PM

To: webmaster@517prct.org

Subject: site suggestion

Hello,

I just wanted to let you know that on this page: http://www.517prct.org/bulge.htm your link to 'Center of Research and Information on the Battle of the Bulge (CRIBA)' seems to now be gone. I've been researching  battles for a paper I have due and I found this page helpful:

http://www.usa-people-search.com/content-battle-of-the-bulge.aspx

... As I was browsing the thought occurred to me that other students may also find it a useful replacement. Your other resources have proven quite useful to me as well, thank you for putting them together.

Cheers,

Natalie Stevens

[I corrected the CRIBA link – BB]

I didn’t get any responses regarding the photos below.  One more time -- Recognize anyone? -- BB

Pictures from Marc Paoli.

Dear Bob,

The following 517th pictures were recovered in France and are totally unpublished.

I have been able to identify a few officers in the pictures but some still need to be ID'd and have put yellow numbers so make it easier for the mailcall.

Here are the pictures,

Kind regards Gilles

Tell Your Story

I recently posted Ray Hess’ biography:  http://www.517prct.org/bios/ray_hess/ray_hess.htm

We’re still waiting for more entries for the Meet the Troopers section of the Web site.  There were 2500 soldiers in the 517^th, and we only have 63 bios on the site!   It is an important part of the 517^th history.  There’s no time like the present to make a few notes about your life.  Start simple.  You can always add more info and more photos later.   Families and friends, please get after your troopers to get their story in.  Just get a few words down.