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:

Don Fraser's CP near Col de Braus then and now

Warbird Magazine article about the 2008 St. Louis Reunion

MailCall News

I'm back!  Sorry to be so long between MailCalls.  As you should remember, I was on business in China and Korea for the last 2 weeks.  I am back, and there is plenty of news to post.  I won't get to it all in one shot, but I want to get at least one newsletter out this weekend.  I'll try to get to a second one later in the week.  -- Bob Barrett

But first, here's a quiz about China.  The following poster was posted on the inside of the bathroom stalls in some of our Chinese factories:

 What do you think this poster says:

A.  Don't sit in the stall too long.  Please get back to work.

B.  Squat low, or you might poop on your shoes.

C.  Don't use that paper that you wrapped your lunch in, and use it to wipe your ass.

The correct answer is C.   Really.  At least that's what they told me.

Received June 21 from J. Mickael, Eric and Adrian of the Musee de la Liberation in Le Muy:

Subject:  pics of the museum 24 hours after the rain

Hi everybody, bonjour a tous,
 
voici quelques photos du musée 24 heures aprés le déluge, quand nous avons enfin pu avoir accés à l'entrée..
merci de votre soutiens, de votre aide, de vos mail et appels, nous avons pu retrouver dans la boue 90 % des objets et avons commencés le long travail de rénovation.
 
here is the first pics of the museum we took 24 hours after the disaster when the level to go down ..
We still very active to saving the equipment 90 % is saved at this day, we still have in it, and start fighting against the rust and mud.
kind regards and many many thanks for you support, mail and warmest call.
jean Mickael, Eric and Adrien
AIRBORNE MUSEUM LE MUY FRANCE
anvil-dragoon@hotmail.com
cabrian9@aol.com

Hello, all -

Bob, keep us posted from Shanghai! And don't think we won't keep the email coming!

So much is happening right now:

• the floods in the Var have left the Musee de la Liberation in Le Muy devastated. I usually feel like the ocean isn't that big, but right now they are in a different world. The musee "staff," all volunteers, have been rescuing whatever they can in the last 10 days or so. We are happy all are safe and keep waiting to hear more news. I wish I were going to Provence this August in support, but I had not planned to do so this year. Next year, though, we (Allan Johnson, Leo Dean and myself) are definite, and we will probably go to Belgium first, I hope with Joanne Barrett.

• Mike Wells and Lory Curtis, along with Merle McMorrow, are either very close or already have committed to next year's national reunion. As soon as they send the order form, get your reservations in! You can always cancel, and we can probably arrange it so that vets can cancel without penalty (I will lobby hard for that!)

• Remember that reunions are coming up in January and April as well! Lots of people ONLY go to their East or West Coast Parties - keep on planning to do so!

Finally, I read with sadness that Russ Brami died recently. He was a wonderful gentleman who spoke kindly with me and my then-adolescent sons; I think I saw him at at least two Florida reunions. He was so self-deprecating and genuine, and I was sorry not to see him. Bob, if you wouldn't mind passing this on to Emma, his granddaughter, I'd appreciate it. Her grandfather was a special man.

Troopers - what have you done this year to tell your story?

Best to all my favorite vets -

Claire Johnson Giblin,
daughter, Allan Johnson, 596

Concerning the article about the 13 killed paratroopers, 8 of which drowned. [MailCall #2001] These were men of the 551st PIB who died during a night jump when they landed in a lake. This event is quite famous in 551 books.
 
Jean-Loup Gassend

Hello everyone,

Regarding this newspaper clipping about some paratroopers who drowned during a practice jump, it was actually troopers from the 551st Prcht Inf Battalion. It was february '44, not '43 by the way... They died drowned in Lake Kenney Cameron, Camp Mackall, during a training night jump. McGrotty and Hoffman were from HQ Company, Ferguson + Ramsey + Petty + Reed + Wafford were from Company "C", and Preziotti was as far as I know from Company "B"...
I think there is a lot of informations about this in "Messengers of the Lost Battalion", a book about the 551st... (I have the book, I can look for more infos if you want)...

Also, regarding that database project, if you're still into it, I'm still pretty motivated to help you out with it, so get in touch if you want, ok?

Regards from France,
Christophe Mora
kriss_37@hotmail.com

What  are the dates for the Kissimmee reunion?  Thanks.

Babbie Boyle

Hi…I’m the daughter of Louis A. Rennick, he served WWII B-517th….this is the first contact made on your site. He is 86 years and has recently began telling me stories….so….just getting started, please add his name to any lists and let me know how I can get information or contacts out to anyone from his unit left. Thanks so much to all of you!!!

Debra Schneider, Daughter of Louis A. Rennick

kyann@hughes.net

Corsicana, Texas
903-396-7308

Received June 25:

 Dear Friends,
We are so tired, had worked days and most part of nights,  but so happy to tell you that tomorow we will make the last saving pickup at the museum, our little team of friends and family are doing a great work on the renovation, and day after day items look's close as they were.
Unfortunately we loose lot of enlargement picture, documents and some items are destroyed for ever. WE will keep you informed as soon as possible of our need, as many of you offer their help, and in advance we thank you from the bottom of our heart for all your support.
Airborne all the way !
J. Mickael SOLDI  & Eric RENOUX 
Le Muy Airborne Museum
France.
Chers amis,
nous sommes trés fatigués, mais heureux de vous dire que demain les derniers objets encore dans le musée serons evacués pour leur sauvegarde. Notre petite equipe d"amis bénévoles, et nous même faisons un superbe travail de rénovation, jour aprés jour les objets retrouvent un bel aspect.
 
Malheureusement, certains garderons des traces a jamais de cette catastrophe, d'autres son irrécupérables et presque toutes les photos et documents devrons êtres recherchés, reproduits sans compter les dommages des vitrines, manequins et autres...Nous vous tiendrons informés de l'évolution de nos travaux et encore une fois nous vous remercions du fond du coeur pour votre soutient et votre aide. Un grand merci .
Jean Michel SOLDI & Eric RENOUX
Le Muy Airborne Museum
France.

Eric, and J Mickael,

Please pass on my and our compatriots thoughts and prayers to you and your people who were affected by the flood.  God bless you and the Team in restoring the museum.  When we visited last August I was overwhelmed at the great testimonial you and your wonderful  folks established and maintained honoring the airborne liberating forces of Dragoon.

Dieu bénit et espère à bientôt

Tom Copsey
Mary Ellen Sublett

From: Richard Gariepy [mailto:rkona@cox.net]
Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 7:11 PM
To: webmaster@517prct.org
Subject: Greg Oehm

I am researching info on Greg Oehm. Co. H.  I cannot pull up a copy of the article you site in the Fla Sun Harold in 2003 about his chute not opening , Is their  a way I can get a copy of the article . Thanks RG

---------------------

[That article is no longer available online at the newspaper, but I did save an electronic copy of it:  "He knew he was in trouble when his chute didn't open" ]

I do receive your MailCalls and enjoy haring from/about our 517 buddies.  Thank you for carrying on.  We all appreciate you and your efforts.   God speed to each and every one still among us!  Our list keeps getting shorter.   Thanks for the memories.

Fondly,

June Huffman

From Phil McSpadden:

A neat tribute to our beautiful country - Happy 4th of July everyone!

http://sagebrushpatriot.com/america.htm

Name that Trooper

Name that Trooper will return in the next MailCall

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. 

- 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.