517 PRCT - MailCall No. 1994, May 12, 2010
Mail Call: MailCall@517prct.org
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Administrivia:
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- If you have trouble reading this MailCall, or seeing the images, you can read it online at http://www.517prct.org/mailcall/1994.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.
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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: Robert Kennedy, 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
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MailCall News
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I am slowly catching up on MailCall news. However, I am behind in getting to some photos and magazine articles that have been sent to me for the web site. Wayne Cross sent me some 2nd Battalion photos from Camp Mackall and Steve Markle has a lot of stuff that he collected at the Palm Springs reunion. I expect to get to most of that this weekend. On the home front, I am changing jobs. While the last few months have been hectic at home and work, I am taking a little time off in between jobs just to get organized and to spend a little time with the family. Once I start the new job, things may get crazy again. But keep the news coming! One last time, the entire Barrett family wants to thank everyone from the 517th and friends who attended Ben’s ceremony in DC last week, as well as all those who sent their wishes and thoughts about Ben. You are all part of our family.
-- Bob Barrett
Dear Bob and Joanne:
The moving comments in today's Mail Call from those who had the privilege of being with your family as your Dad was buried at Arlington and the reception and dinner thereafter expressed the heartfelt feelings of all of us. What gifts of eloquence they have. Thank you again for your generosity in including the Seitz clan in this time of honoring your Dad and sharing memories of him. We are so grateful that through your remarkable Dad, who has made such an indelible impact on all of us, we had the opportunity to meet his wonderful family. Thank you. And thank you for keeping Mail Call going. The U-Tube video was very inspiring.
Sincerely, Pat Seitz and Alan Greer
Thanks for sharing the photos and information about Ben's memorial service. It meant a great deal to all of us. He was very special.
John Krumm Hi, Bob - I am so grateful to the entire Barrett family for hosting such a large and open gathering for Ben's farewell last weekend. It was a truly special time with friends, and it was a fitting tribute to his life and contributions. Eight members of the 517 attended: Merle McMorrow, Richard Seitz, Darrell Egner, Gene Frice, Hal Beddow, Leo Dean, Allan Johnson and Lud Gibbons, accompanied by a large number of family and friends. In fact, the people at Arlington kept commenting on what a large group we were. Shari's pictures (Bob - am I spelling it right? Sherry? Please correct me!) are incredible, and thank you for sharing them. The honor guard did their duties with amazing precision and dignity. The ceremony closed with what I believe was a three volley salute (seven service members firing three times simultaneously), and "Taps" by that lone bugler. It was an experience I'll never forget. We are all privileged to have known Ben, and those of us who were able to travel for his funeral are honored to have been there. Claire Giblin Mr Barrett,
Thank you for the magnificent work you with the Maill Call. With this, I got in touch with the nephew of PFC George Cavnar of Regimental H.Q. about the battle on the "Haid Hits". I am most positive the account of PFC George Cavnar of Regimental H.Q will be of great interest in my research.
I noticed the “Christmas-roster” file isn’t searchable. I processed the pdf file I found on you site, so that it is searchable. I think it could be useful of having a searchable version on your site too.
Thank you!
Dieter Laes, Belgium [Dieter has now supplied us with a SEARCHABLE Christmas 1944 roster. When you view this pdf version, you can click on the binoculars and search for anyone by name. Don't forget that some names are spelled wrong, so try a few variations. --BB]
Dieter,
Thanks for the searchable roster. I am very surprised at how well the search works, considering the very poor quality of the scan. This booklet was one of the first items that I posted on the web site 10 years ago, back when I had to fit everything into a 10 MB limit. So the scans were not only poor quality, but I had to dumb down the resolution to make the images smaller. I do now have a good quality paper reproduction of the booklet – they are often available on eBay – so I will rescan it someday.
But for now, your searchable version is great. That will work for 99% of what people need. Thanks!
Bob B
Please change my mail call address from scottross4@comcast.net to scott@ross-wa.net.
Thanks Scott Ross Hi, Commemorative Airborne Jump Team (CAJT) [Teri was at Ben's ceremony in DC last week, and she showed me copy of this magazine article about the CAJT re-enactment at the 2008 St. Louis Reunion. It is now on the web site. -- BB] http://www.517prct.org/reunions/2008_st_louis/warbird_magazine.pdf
From:
j g [mailto:gbeals86@hotmail.com]
Good morning,
From:
Phil McSpadden [mailto:fairwayphil@thevillages.net]
This should be a required presentation on every tv network and radio station in America. God Bless America....phil Subject: Red Skelton
This clip will take you 4 minutes 19 seconds to
watch... Red Skelton--from his television show in 1969. WOW ! Just think, he said this on his television show in 1969 and really had no clue it would ever come about.
SAD, isn't it? http://media.causes.com/604250?p_id=42563578
I receive mail call
but would like to change email address from mfhupman@aol.com to Marion
(Hupman) Lattus mlattus@gmail.com. I'm the daughter of Frank Hupman 460
company C.
From: Frode Steine [ mailto:frode@perzmo.com]Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: Hill 1098
Hi Bob. Will you give my sincerest thanks to Mr. Cooper? Hope some of those D Co's takes up Mr. Coopers challenge! D Company was attacked by a German platoon that day, from 6 Co. / Grenadier-Regiment 80 of the 34. Infanterie-Division. This division fought on the eastern front from june 1941 until april 1944, when it was pulled out for rest and refitting. Befoe that it had seen action in France.
Some information on the German platoon leader in question can be found here: http://www.ww2awards.com/person/41612Best, Frode
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Name that Trooper
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This event took place during WWII some time after the
second D-Day, August 15th,1944. I
t was during the fabled Champagne Campaign as the 517 was moving through
south-eastern France. It is a
true story about real American heroes that served their country during
WWII.
As the force moved through this portion of France there
were occasional clashes with straggling German troops that were having to
give up ground. The 517 was
slowly approaching the Var River where recon scouts discovered a bridge
that had been only partially demolished.
The Germans were usually careful about not leaving an intact bridge
behind for enemy use. It was
decided that the bridge was repairable and would be a great asset to the
517 if they could prevent the Germans from completing the demolition.
The men of C Company were given the task of finding a way to secure
this bridge intact. German forces
upon withdrawing would generally leave guards behind at bridge sites such
as this one to blow up the structure.
Upon further reconnaissance of the situation by the 517, it was
learned that there were indeed two German guards waiting on the far end of
the bridge as look-outs. It was
time for strategy on the part of the Battling Buzzards to find a way to
gain control of this small piece of French real-estate without taking
casualties.
Two enlisted men from C Company, both PFC's, quickly
volunteered to make the jaunt across the bridge and hopefully not be
recognized as the enemy during this very risky adventure.
Our two guys used a bit of deception in planning their dangerous
venture. They had a wheel-barrow
in which they carefully placed their rifles under picks and shovels for
quick access. They removed their shirts and unbloused their pants to
cover their jump boots and lastly both tied bandanas around their
heads. They looked like conscripted laborers pushing that wheel barrow
across the Var River Bridge. They didn't look at all like the sharply
dressed Paratroopers that always turned heads at bus stations and railway
stations across America. On this
day they were actors playing bit parts in a "suspence thriller" earmarked
as straight out of Hollywood.
Only this drama was 100% real life and if things don't go right for our
two troopers in the next few seconds, the curtains will fall, the lights
will go down and for them the stage will be pitch black for all eternity.
As they crossed the halfway point of the bridge with their
wheel-barrow, the German guards began fidgeting and showing signs of
anxiety as the strangers were closing the gap rapidly.
It was at this point that one of the German soldiers realized that
something was not right and shouted "halt".
The Germans went for their weapons but the boys from "Charlie
Company" were just a bit faster on the draw and quickly killed the two
guards before they could raise their weapons.
The 517th had just bought themselves a bridge, paid for with shear
"character". After all they had
been told repeatedly that they were worth at least five regular soldiers a
piece and after many months of hearing it they started believing it.
Why else would they have volunteered for such a risky mission?
That was but one day in the life of the 517. You win some
and you lose some but if you are lucky you get to start all over again
tomorrow. If you wake up the next
morning and there is no tag on your toe, then you have won.
I personally had the pleasure of sitting at the table and talking
with one of these two fine gentlemen while attending the 517th Reunion in
Salt Lake City this past summer.
If you can name either of these two C-Company heroes you will win a
free two year subscription to "517th MAIL CALL".
But wait it gets even better, if you can name both of them you will
win a one year subscription to "517th MAIL CALL"....[L O L]
Forgive me Bob, I just
couldn't help myself. You will find the answer to this quiz in the next
edition of "517th Mail Call".
Jerry Wofford
N E P H E W O F A B U Z Z A R D
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Guestbook Entries
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[Sterling Wallace Weaver was
in H Company of the 517 PIR -- BB]
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