517 PRCT - MailCall No. 1999, June 6, 2010

 

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MailCall News

 

 

I just finished my second week at the new job.  The company is A123 Systems, and we make high tech (nanophosphate lithium ion) batteries, for a number of applications, with our biggest market being hybrid and electric cars.  Just to give you a sense how cool this is, we provide the battery power for the world's fastest motorcycle, the Killacycle.  It goes 0 to 60 mph in less than one second.

 

I spent a couple of days this past week traveling to Michigan, where we are building 2 huge new manufacturing plants.  In a couple of weeks, I will be heading to China for 2 weeks to visit our other plants.  Enough about me, but I just want some understanding when the delivery of MailCalls might be occasionally a bit erratic and intermittent.  But keep the news coming.  I will get to it all eventually. -- BB

 

 

On this Memorial Day, We would like  to say again and again that we are  grateful for the men of the 517 and throughout you all the men who fought for our liberty.

with our love,
Patou and Roland Orengo
Sospel, France

 

Dearest 517th,

Please forgive this late entry....more than 50 years late, for that matter. 

If it were up to me, we would have "Memorial Day" every day. 

Following is little, private movie clip that says more than than words could ever say. 

I remember my late, dear, departed daddy say that he was thankful he never had to serve in the Pacific....

And, yet, the casualty rate for the 517th was among the highest...

May the following bless your brave and noble hearts, and may you be comforted by the hope of Christ Jesus who tells us we WILL see our heroes and loved ones again. 

With more love, respect and gratefulness than I can ever say. 

Virginia Votti

Daughter of Carl Votti, 1st battalion, Company B
Gina

Original footage -- VJ Day in Honolulu, Hawaii

http://vimeo.com/5645171
 

 

Dear Bob:  Alan and I have returned late last night from a trip down the Rhine and Danube (Amsterdam to Budapest) and had the opportunity to visit Nuremberg (the court as well as the Document Museum) as well as the Holocaust Museum in Budapest.  Needless to say, they were vivid reminders of what our soldiers saved us all from.  So when I heard the Tussing third graders singing their wonderful song, I could only say "Amen."  A belated prayer of gratitude to all those who have served this great country and made the ultimate sacrifice so that the rest of us to sleep and live in peace.  Thank you to you Bob for keeping Mail Call going. 

Pat Seitz and Alan Greer.
 

 

Back from my daughter's wedding:

 

I have just returned from walking my youngest daughter down the aisle. She had it planned perfectly, but wasn't sure how it would end up. I arrived on the 20th, had 2 inches of snow on the ground the following morning, another 4 inches on Sunday! Weather reports indicated that on Saturday (May 29th, day of wedding) the temperature would drop 10 degrees with a big chance of rain! And this was to be an outdoor wedding at Park Meadows golf course!

And to top it off, her announcement indicated a party at a bowling alley for the wedding party! I couldn't believe that, until we arrived at the alley, and there was a separate room from the alleys with 4 lanes, a full TV screen at the end of the alleys, a bar, snacks and lots of music. We had more gutter balls than marks, but it was a lot of fun. On the day of the wedding, the weather could have been a few degrees warmer, but it was ideal!!

I've attached some photos for you to look at. Look hard at the departure of the bride and groom for their honeymoon nest!

Did I forget to tell you that Maya is still in school, doing 5-week rotations at various institutions until December, with certification in Jan 2011.
She got off work for the bowling party, back at work on Friday, then had a whole 3 days off before she started 24 hour rotations in the Trauma Center of the Huntsman Hospital. They are already trying to save a slot for her when she gets her certification.

But, I'm back, I'm warm, and I'm never going to Utah again unless it is in the summertime....whenever that is!!

Phil McSpadden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Gene Frice:

 

JB,

Hey, yea Dragoon 0430hrs 15Aug44.
  Second largest opn in WWII. Mission was:  1. Stop Germans in the So France area  from providing support to the Normandy Germans  2. Stop Italy Germans from escaping from Northern Italy and moving into France, and 3. To support the 3 Division (+) amphib operation into Southern France.
  Units:  3rd, 36th, and 45th Inf Div; 1st Allied Airborne Task Force, (517 Parachute Inf Regt Combat Team came in from Italy, 509th Parachute Inf Bn, 551st Parachute Inf Bn, 1st Special Service Force, several Troop Carrier Wings (1,000 + aircraft), and several 1,000 amphib craft).
  Most of the inv force was a success. The airborne opn was widly scattered (of course), but had serious impact on Germans. The amphib units moved into central valley of France and airborne units remained in the French coast and French Alps until Nov 44 and then moved into Bulge in Dec 44.
  The internet has considerable information in about three sources on Dragoon.
  My unit, the 517th, had organized in Toccoa in 43 and moved to Camp McCall, NC as part of the 17th Abn Div. In 44 was taken from the 17th and sent to Italy as an independent PRCT. After moving up the coast of Italy was sent on Abn Opn into the So of France. The 517 remained independent PRCT in France, Belgium, Rhineland, and Germany until the June end of WWII. The newl 13th Avn Div (newly arrived after the end of WWII) kidnapped the 517 it was disbanded upon it's return to the US.
  By the way, Churchill did not approve of the Dragoon opn as he wanted an inv of the Balkins to insure the Russians would not  take that area. He was right. Stalin had other reasons to insure (?) they would take central europe and Roosevelt did not object-so...Dragoon. 
  Considerable more info on the 517th web page < www.517prct.org >
  

 
On Mon, May 31, 2010 at 12:17 AM, <jbsfsgm@aol.com> wrote:
 
Sir,

Anvil/Dragon gets pertly short shrift when it comes to WW2 European invasions. Who knows, who cares; as one of the guilty members of that party I take it as a challenge.
 If the Drop time for the first pass over Saint Mare is a proper time to salute the Normandy invasion with a quality single malt Scotch (and I think it is) what would be a good equivalent occasion (time) for the folks coming in for Operation Dragoon? Any help would be appreciated.

I look forward to putting the word out. . .

JB
 

-----Original Message-----
From: gene frice <genesir@gmail.com>
Sent: Fri, May 28, 2010 4:02 pm
Subject: Operation Dragoon, WWII1944, So France

 

 
Operation Dragoon - The “Forgotten D-Day”
The Allied Landings in Southern France on 15 August 1944

Outpost Europe, Society of the 3rd Infantry Division,
The US Army Center of Military History, and
The United States Army Historical Foundation
Honor allied veterans on the 66th Anniversary of their invasion of Southern France

When: 8 August 2010, 1800-2100 Historical Symposium
9 August 2010; 0900-1200, 1400-1800 Historical Seminars
10 August 2010, 0900 to 1500 Memorial Ceremony

Where: Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Amphitheater, Hyatt Hotel, Arlington, VA

Who: Veterans of the 6th Army Group; 7th Army; 6th Corps; 3rd, 36th, and 45th Infantry Divisions; 1st Allied Airborne Task Force; 1st Special Service Force; US Army Air Corps; US Navy, and their families; French Army Veterans; Allied Air Force and Navy veterans; Soldiers; guests; members of the media; representatives of the French, British, Canadian, Greek, Dutch, Polish, and German Embassies.

What: 10 August - 0900 – 1000 Commemorative ceremony Memorial Amphitheater
1015 - Wreath Laying, Tomb of the Unknowns
1040 - Wreath Laying, 3ID Monument
1100 - Remembrance at Audie Murphy graveside
1115 - Transport to Hyatt Hotel Rosslyn, Virginia
1130 - Luncheon
1130 – 1500 Historical panel discussion, veterans’ interviews
1500 – Conclusion

Why: To honor the veterans of the Forgotten D-Day
To preserve history and educate the American public
To publicize the Army Historical Foundation/US Army Museum

Room Reservations: Location - Hyatt Arlington
1325 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22209
Price - $119 per night, from 2 days prior to event and one day after
Reservations: 402-592-6464 / 888-421-1442
Reservation Group Name: Operation Dragoon

Point of Contact: Monika Stoy, President, Outpost Europe
monikastoy@yahoo.com , PH: 001 703 912 4218
Address: 6531 Milva Lane, Springfield, VA. 22150 USA

 

 

 

Patricia and Roland Orengo recently posted a very nice video of the ceremonies at their house in Sospel last August.  I am still trying to find a way to post it for everyone. -- BB

 

 

 

Name that Trooper

 

 

Answer to 1998 quiz: 

 

LT JOHN [JACK] SAXION = H.Q. 3rd BN = 517th P I R

 


 

 

 

Administrivia:

 

 

- If you have trouble reading this MailCall, or seeing the images, you can read them all online at http://www.517prct.org/mailcall/

- 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. 

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- 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.