Hello,
Great to have Howard Hensleigh back online. He was there and can tell it like it was.
Anyone can have their name removed from my email roster at any time. I usually remove names after three undelivered emails. You can also have your name added at any time.
Leave for Kissimmee reunion Sunday and wii stay in Florida for a few days after the reunion. This may be the last Mail Call untill January 27.
Ben
Website----prct517.home.attbi.com or members.aol.com/prct517/
Mail Call--Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: 04.01.2003.ceremonies
Date: 1/17/2003 10:25:09 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: arnold.targnion@belgacom.net
To: MMcmor8391@aol.com
CC: Ben517@aol.com
Dear friends,
We do hope you are well. Here is Maria's speech on
January 4th at the church of St Jacques (Trois-Ponts) in memory of the paratroopers who fought there in 1944.
It's now 58 years ago that thousands of young men gave their blood and sleep eternally on the soil that liberated so courageously and with tenacity. 58 years ago but neverless we cannot forget, neither can they, the ones, numerous, who came back to pay with us their respects in front of these monuments dedicated to their heroism. Age has left its mark on their face, the time who went by, between that terrible period and that disastrous winter is the same who grows our veterans away from their tragic odyssey of 1940.
A lot of blood and many more tears were shed before whole Europe was definitively liberated from the ones who had put thje whole world under fire and blood. What would be the image that our today's society could show to God if Hitler had won the war ? Our teenagers would be SS's and would have lost their soul. It's to that youth, in love with justice and peace, that we are talking to, even if we repeat ourself, so that that war would be the last and may they take the lessons from the past mistakes, in order to help them to build a world of peace. We will never stop to pây homage, with deep respect and a tremendous gratitude to the Americans and to our veterans. We owe them our freedom.
"The gratefulness gets older very fast" (greek proverb)
We dedicate this Mass to the memory of the victims and to the survivors. Thank you. Maria GASPAR - President of the CADUSA.
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-Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO 408 517TH PRCT
Date: 1/14/2003 2:26:10 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
Note to John Camp--I remember your father in law very well. He was a good G Company man. My first unit in the 3rd batallion was G Company where we trained for the better part of a year before going over seas. I have a 517th hat that I will send to Don if you send me your address. It is a tribute to his service--no postage necessary. Howard Hensleigh
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Subj: le Muy
Date: 1/14/2003 1:59:47 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
Dear Ben: My congratulations to Mike Cotton and his group who are bringing to the le Muy area remembrances of the job we did in providing an "umbrella" for the sea borne invasion troops and liberating Southern France, including that envied vacation spot–the Riviera. My daughter just returned from a trip and says that the Negresco is still the prestige hotel in Nice. They made an elegant meal out of our five in one’s. Today, the price is $400 per night so we got a bargain. My chief memory is the six foot bathtub with hot water soaking off 30 days of sweat, blood and tears. We are used to being overlooked because of the focus on larger units, but it would be a new one to be overlooked because of the two battalion size units of the 509 and the 550. They both were excellent units and the 509 saw combat in N. Africa, Sicily, Italy as well as France. Nevertheless, they scattered our regimental combat team so widely that there are few if any spots in that area in which we were not represented. Thanks to Boom Boom Alicki and Al Dearing for our solid representation at le Muy, including its liberation by the negotiated surrender of the Krauts there. This does not mean that the 3rd Bn. did not have a connection with le Muy. Due to the ingenuity of some of the troopers sent out on a 500 yard azimuth, then back azimuth, at 0430 that dark morning, I was in a house full of Paris vacationers with maps spread out on a table. My first words in broken French were, "Where is la Motte, where is le Muy?" They looked distressed and told me that my map did not show our present location. The nearest town was Callian, about 25 kilometers from le Muy–our drop zone. Somehow in the darkness, confusion and some fire fights we went through le Muy on our way to assist the rest of the combat team capture les Arcs. This was on D plus one. That we were together as a battalion in that time was a feat, but organized well enough to stage a successful attack is a tribute to Mel Zais, Bob McMahon, Joe McGeever, Lud Gibbons and a number of junior officers and the valiant men we led.
Howard Hensleigh
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Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO 408 517TH PRCT
Date: 1/14/2003 2:12:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
A note to Frank Vella--Everyone knew your father. He headed and trained the combat team's medics who looked after and bound up our wounds from Italy to Germany. If you get a copy of our books, everywhere we were your Dad ws there with us doing his job. He had an excellent reputation within the combat team and higher units. Howard Hensleigh
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Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO 408 517TH PRCT
Date: 1/15/2003 10:31:51 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: artann3447@juno.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Just a short note about Major Vella, He and I jumped from the same plane
into combat in France, First out of the door was Lt.Col. Zais,Btn
Commander, then Major Vella (they went out by rank) I was next to last,
Since I had sever injuries on the drop Major Vella examined me while I
was laying in a bed in a farm house, since I kept passing out from my
injuries it was decided I could not continue with the rest of the men and
should be left there.( we were dropped 50 miles inland instead of planned
20 miles inland) So the French underground took me to the village of
Seillan about 4 hours later, 6 days later they stole a German dump truck
and took about 7 of us back to the Beachhead and hospital TOM McAvoy
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_Subj: 517th
Date: 1/16/2003 9:49:45 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: micmonro@linkny.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Hi Ben
My sons great uncle was Gale R.Swarthout of HQ2Battalion we're both interested in the 517th's history and hope to find out more about Gale. Please ad us to your mail list. our email address is micmonro@linkny.com.
Thanks!
Mike Monroy
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Subj: 517th
Date: 1/17/2003 10:09:40 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: frederic@misaki.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Dear Ben,
Congratulation for the very interesting website!
I am Frederic - 29year old french boy born in Nice, and since my youngest
age, I am hearing passionating stories about Nice and South of France
liberation in summer 44.
So much that this period bacame a real hobby for me (understand what
happened, investigate, collect stories and relics etc...).
When the americans came, my father was a 8year old boy, but he remenbers
this impressive american para trooper in uniform who came regularly at home
to drink something and pick-up his mother (my grand-mother...) with a Dodge
and go dancing together. My grand-mother was a beautiful lady born in
Ukraine (but immigrated in France since 1917 when Leninie came), and she
divorced in early 40's. Her name was Maria Yacovleff.
I still have with me the silver Para insigna the american guy gave her
before going back to war, and a picture of his command-car parked at the
front of the house. I can scan the pictures I have if it/this story can be
of interest. Maybe some veterans can help?
I hope to hear from you soon,
Frederic