Hello,

Clark Archer has prov ided us with a short history of the 517th and Bob  is posting it to the website.
This short history will answer many of the questions that we receive  concerning where the 517th fought, what time  and what  other units we were attached to and other units  that needed  aid from the 517.

I will hav e to send out another Mail Call later today.

Ben

Website---www.517prct.org

Mail Call---Ben517@aol.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Subj: Short History 
Date: 3/24/2003 7:18:40 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: rbarrett@alum.mit.edu
To: ben517@aol.com

Dad,
 
I finished posting the 517th Short History to the website.  I still want to insert photos in the text, as in the original.  I think I can get good copies of the right photos from the Paratrooper's Odyssey book.  I also realized that I have two other sections in the Short History that I did not yet start -- one for the 460th and one for the 596th.  I'll probably get to those by this weekend.
 
Bob
webmaster@517prct.org
______________________________________________________

Subj: Our Commander-in-Chief Speaks 
Date: 3/24/2003 8:57:11 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: newacct1088254 ( Boom Boom Alicki )
To: Ben517

"Sacrifices are being made by members of our Armed Forces who now defend us so far from home, and by their proud and worried families. A Commander-in-Chief sends America's sons and daughters into a battle in a foreign land only after the greatest care and a lot of prayer. We ask a lot of those who wear our uniform. We ask them to leave their loved ones, to travel great distances, to risk injury, even to be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. They are dedicated, they are honorable; they represent the best of our country. And we are grateful."
--George W. Bush

_________________________________________________________

Subj: registration list 
Date: 3/23/2003 9:51:07 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: lou@thedardens.net
To: ben517@aol.com

Ben, this is the latest list of those registered for OK City in June.  when the war started the registration slowed, but it has picked up again.  We are very pleased at the response we are getting.  We can only hope & pray that the war is over by then.  Looking forward to seeing every one.  Jesse & Lou Darden



AMMERMON, WALTER & RUTH                       "I" CO.
BARNES, BOB & LU                              "H" CO.
BARRETT, BEN & FRAN                           "H" CO.
BEDDOW, HAL & HELEN                           HQ 1ST "A"
BEHRENS, BRIAN                                GUEST
BOYLE, BILL & BABBIE                          1ST BN
BRISSEY, GENE & EDIE                          2ND BN "E" CO
BUCHER, ROSELYN 460TH                       "C"
CASON, JACK & VETA                            460TH F.A.
CHRISTIE, BOB & MILDRED                       HQ 2ND
COMPTE, ANTOINETTE                            GUEST - FRANCE
COOK, CHARLES E. & BERNICE                    460TH
DAHLBERG, MEL & MAE                           "F" CO
DALRYMPLE, BOB & GARNET                       596TH ENG
DAVIS, GARY & JEANNE                          "F" CO
DAVIS, PONNIE                                 GUEST
DEAN, LEO P.                                  REGT JQ CO.
DOTY, CECIL & ARLENE                          "H" CO.
FRICE, GENE & MARGARET                        "F" CO
Gallucci, Frank & Rita                        "D" CO
GAUTHIER,CAMERON & MARIE                      460TH "C"
GIBBONS, LUDLOW & MARTY DONAHOO               "H" & "I" CO
GOODMAN, ALLAN R. & ALICE                     596TH ENG
GORDY, CARL & EVELYN                          460TH "C"
HAMMEL, RICHARD & EDNA                        "E" CO
HENSLEIGH, HOWARD & JANICE                    HQ 3RD BN & "G"
HORNE, J. K. & GRACE                          3RD BN
INCONTRO, FRANCES                             460TH "B"
JONIENTZ, JOHN G  & DEANNE                    "F" CO
KACHALSKY, RICHARD & LILLIAN                  460TH "B"
LEOCARD, AIME                                 GUEST - FRANCE
LEWIS, IRENE                                  "D" CO
LINDER,CHRIS & SON RICK (NATE RUBENSTEIN)     HQ 2ND BN
MARCHAND, CLIFFORD                            460TH "D"
McMORROW, MERLE W. & MARDY                    460TH "C"
MELTON,TERESA VAUGHT(GUEST OF ROBERT VAUGHT)  GUEST
MORRIS, JAMES(FRANK) & MARTHA                 460TH
NORMAN,  NICOLE (GUEST OF ROBERT VAUGHT)      "I" CO.
PERKINS, LES & BETTY                          "C" CO
PLASSMAN, WALTER & DOROTHY                    HQ 3RD BN
PUGH, ANN                                     596 ENG GUEST
REBER, TOM                                    HQ 3RD BN
REYNOLDS, MICHAEL & MARIE ELENA               460TH "B"
ROYER, JAMES (JIM) & JUNE                     HQ 3RD BN
RUMSEY, DR. TIMOTHY J.                        HQ 1ST GUEST
RUMSEY, GEORGE E.                             HQ 1ST
SANFORD, GEORGE R.                            460TH "D"
SAUNDERS, DON & JAN                           596TH ENG
SEITZ, DICK GENERAL  & VIRGINIA               HQ 2ND
SNYDER, ROBERT & ENID                         HQ 3RD
SPERRY, DR.AL& ROBIN                          "B" CO
TURCO, LEO & JOYCE                            460TH "A"
VAUGHT, ROBERT L.& PATRICIA                   "I" CO.
WALBRIDGE, JACK C.& LORRAINE                  3RD BN "I" CO
WELBORN, GUY B.(BRIAN) & DIXIE                "C" CO
WESTBROOK, BILL & JEANNE                      460 "C"
WILLIAMS, CURTIS                              HQ 1ST

_______________________________________________________
Subj: Fwd: FW: The Average Military Man 
Date: 3/23/2003 1:04:03 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: SARGE31121  (Lou Holtzworth )
To: Ben517
Several members have sent this to me. I may have had it in a previous Mail Call. We were all young once.- Ben
_____
The average age of the military man is 19 years.
e is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal
circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not
yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough
to die for his country.
 He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own
 car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment
either.
 He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average
 student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten
 year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with
 him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a
world
 away.
 He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and
155mm Howitzers.
 He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he
 is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk.
He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he
 can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in
the dark
  He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade
 launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
 He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a
 professional.
He can march until he is told to stop or stop until he is told to
 march.

 He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not
 without spirit or individual dignity.
 He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and
 wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.
 He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle.
 He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own
 hurts. If  you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are
 hungry, his food.
 He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when
 you run low.
 He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they
 were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his
 job.
 He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay and
 still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death
 then he should have in his short lifetime.
 He has stood atop mountains of dead bodies, and helped to create them.
 He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in
 combat and is unashamed.

 He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body
 while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to
 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove
 their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far
 from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.
 Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is
 paying the price for our freedom.
 Beardless or not, he is not a boy.
 He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for
 over 200 years.

 He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and
 understanding.

 Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration
 with his blood.

 For our Military

 Prayer wheel for our military...please don't break it.  Please send this
 on after a short prayer.

 Prayer Wheel

 "Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they
 protect us.

 Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for
 us in our time of need.  Amen."

 Prayer Wheel: When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say
 a prayer for our ground troops in Afghanistan, sailors on ships, and
airmen
 in the air, and for those preparing for a possible war with Iraq. There
 is nothing attached.... This can be very powerful.... Just send this to
all the
people in your address book.  Do not stop the wheel.
Of all the gifts you could give a US Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman,
prayer is the very best one.
_______________________________________________________________________