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
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-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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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