Hello,
The download was sent to me by Tom Dorman
Ben
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Subj: Status report on the web site
Date: 3/5/2003 3:37:24 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: rbarrett@alum.mit.edu
To: ben517@aol.com
It's official! We have now moved the 517th PRCT web site to a new, permanent location: www.517prct.org
Please change your settings to save this location and store it in your Favorites.
As long as you can remember the "org", this should be easy for anyone to remember. Even the "www" is optional.
Let me give you all a very quick update on the changes and plans for the website:
The recent changes are for a couple of reasons:
1. To get a permanent, officially registered name for the site. The old locations, http://www.members.aol.com/prct517/ and http://prct517.home.attbi.com/, were a low cost way to get started, but they were difficult names to remember, and with today's corporate mergers, the name would soon be changing (again). Our new name should be ours as long as we want it.
2. The old sites on AOL ad ATTBI were free but very limiting on storage space. To make the old site work, I had to chop up the files into 7-8 separate accounts, each using only 10 Mb of space. The new site gives us 500 Mb of space that we can use any way we want. That should be plenty for a long time.
3. This greater storage makes the maintenance much easier for me. I don't have to patch together code to point from one section to another. And I don't have to kill myself to compress photos to fit. When I used to run out of room, I had to spend time creating new accounts and splitting files and moving things around. I no longer have to worry about that. The space is wide open, and the structure is now greatly simplified. This will make it easier for me to get caught up. (It might also make it easier for someone else to take over for me, if we ever have to get to that, many years from now.)
With the new space, I hope to soon get to some overdue updates, starting with completing the casualty reports. I have also recently received a clean copy of the "Paratrooper's Odyssey" book, the official company history, which I hope to be able to reprint in entirety on the site. As that book was only in limited printing, this should provide some great reference and research material fro anyone interested in the history of the organization. There are 266 pages in that book, so I will be adding it in pieces.
There is also investigation underway in how to collect other historical records and documents, which are in several military facilities. That may take some time and money, but we are at least trying to locate the sources so that we can get to it eventually.
In the meantime, please keep sending your photos and documents to me (prct517@aol.com), and your stories, questions, and anything of interest to Ben for the Mail Call (Ben517@aol.com).
Thanks for all your support and help. But send me more stuff ! We haven't received many photos or artifacts lately.
Bob Barrett
(son of Ben Barrett, H Company)
517 PRCT webmaster
prct517@aol.com
www.517prct.org
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Date: 3/5/2003 9:58:05 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: saltaire@pinn.net
Hi Ben,
Thank you again for your great work..,because of your webpage on the 517
have been able to find so much information on my father. You told me
to get
the book Balttling Buzzards, and I have enjoyed the book very much..
The book has a story about a young german prisoner.My father was able to
help (page 256 "Battling Buzzards" paperback edition.--Ben )
him in his last hours.
I found a letter written in german from a young man to his sister, on
the bottom of the
letter my father wrote about the young mans death.. I think it must be
from the
same man in the book.I couldn't believe I was holding the letter.. I
know I will find
more information, and thanks to the 517 group I will know more about my
father,
and the brave men who gave so that my life could be special..
Becky Martinette (MAURICE WHITE ) Father.
The Ellis Island page is great. My husband is Itilian American , and we
were able
to trace his family, and go to Italy and visit with family , and find
the home of
his grandfather ... Very very interesting..
** *************
Becky also sent me a special report from England which I will try to include in a later Mail Call
Ben
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Date: 3/4/2003 8:55:46 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: SwishdaO
To: PRCT517
Dear Mr. Barrett,
My grandfather, LTC Frank Grbinich was in the 517th, he passed away in 1995. He was president of the 517 PRCT Association during 1985-1987. Growing up, I looked up to my grandfather more than anyone in the world. I'm now 17 years old, and am thinking of going into the army. His bravery and character has influenced me greatly in contemplating on this decision. I miss him very much, and if you could spare some time to locate pictures of my grandfather, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you very much
Grandson of LTC Frank Grbinich,
Alex Oliver Hunt
************
Can anyone help Alex. There must be many photos of Frank Grbinich out there.
Ben
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Subj: Ref. Mail Call 433
Date: 3/4/2003 10:44:57 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Ge517ne
To: Ben517
Howard's, comments concerning the deployment of the 517th during the Bulge battles were interesting. I have often thought of the same thing. The second battalion did not get heavily involved until we reached the Trois Ponts area and after getting beat up there we struggled through the snow and forests along with the 7th armored. Our last battle was the battle for St. Vith. We followed the tanks to the edge of town and were then withdrawn and trucked to Stavelot where most if not all of the rest of the team had holed up to rest a few days earlier. As I recall we got back together and went through the Hurtgen (black) Forest to our eventual completion of combat in the Bergstein area. I have always felt that wherever they needed some tough guys they sent at least a part of us there. We may not have gotten all the credit we deserved, but we shall never forget.
Gene Brissey, E. CO.
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Subj: bulge deployment
Date: 3/5/2003 10:38:11 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Wild bill 517
To: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
CC: Ben517
I would say that the 517 was deployrd in the bulge
to meet the situation not for our unit benefit. Clearly
the situation called for qoick action by ridgway
and he took it. The 1st Bn. was committed first simply
because it was first in the order of march. I have no
idea what specific missions were initially given the
other Bns.===Either Corps missions or reserve.
when the first Bn.was moved from the Third
Armored Div. it went intoCorps reserve Around
Jan.1 the Bn .replaced the 505 on the line and the
2nd Bn and the 509(I believe) were to paass through
in the attack on Jan. 3. The 3rd Bn had just taken
Manhay and had not yet come under control of
Regt. I would say that the situation dictated the
commitments and it was a tribute to the flexibility
of theunits and their leaders at all levels.
Enough said
Bill Boyle
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Subj: Re: bulge deployment
Date: 3/5/2003 11:22:08 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To Bill and Ben: Thanks Bill for a promppt clear response. What you say seems to confirm tht we were deployed as battalions. That was what appeared to ridgway and his superiors in command to be needed. With his record there and in Korea, he shouldn't get too many Monday morning strategy arguments. The 101st went into Bastogne as a division. It is my guess that the 82nd under Gavin usually was given division missions, sometimes with some but not all of the elements of our combat team attached. Again, I have no complaints and the overall result was successful. This explanation may be helpful to some who are attempting to understand what hapened in the Bulge and how the combat team fitted in to achieve the result.
Howard Hensleigh
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