Hello,
I Will try to send Mail Call out daily in order not to loose any mail and to be able to include longer articles.Probably between 7:00 PM and 8:00PM Eastern time.
Please note Boom Boom's mail about the West Coast reunion and the ominous signal that it sends. Sign up for Oklahoma City reunion today.
Ben
Website----www.517prct.org
Mail Call---Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: 517th reunion-Okla City
Date: 4/13/2003 7:39:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: millerview4@msn.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Ede and I will not be able to attend this year's reunion in Oklahoma Ciity. We have one granddaughter graduating on May 31st and another on June 6th.
We wish you all the best and a wonderful time in Oklahoma City. Joe Miller, 596
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Subj: Palm Springs, CA Mini Reunion
Date: 4/13/2003 8:44:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: BoomBoomAlicki
Hi Ben....Received letter from Wayne Ervine and note from Raymond Dixon. Both were the only two present representing Regimental HQ. Also stated that they were having a real good time and further mentioned that only 50 people were at the reunion. With such a small attendance, Wayne Ervine stated, "this may be the last year for the West Coast reunion."
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Subj: Don't Rain on Heroes Parade
Date: 4/13/2003 9:02:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: BoomBoomAlicki
To: Ben517
Unbelievably, there actually appears to be some in the White House who think
a victory parade down Constitution Avenue is a bad idea. We might "offend"
the French, the Germans, the U.N. or the "Arab street" they say. We can NOT
let such political correctness stop a grateful nation from honoring these
true American heroes. Please add your name to the list of people urging
President Bush to ignore the tender sensitivities of foreign opinion and
hold the biggest, baddest victory parade this country has seen in a long,
long time. To quickly sign our online petition, just go to:
http://www.libertypetitions.com/petition.html?name=dont_rain_on_parade
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_Subj: Fwd: (no subject)
Date: 4/14/2003 10:43:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: carlosdavis22@hotmail.com
Thought that you would find this interesting. A well thought out treatise on
the current situation in Europe posted, by a Brit, on a bulletin board.
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"I hope that the Continent of Europe never again needs help from the United
States of America.
I hope that there's never some murderous tyrant, another Hitler, another
Milosevic that Europe needs help in taming.
I hope that there's never some economic catastrophe that requires American
dollars to make it right as they did at the end of the Second World War.
I hope that all those peace-loving souls in Belgium, Germany and France can
somehow muster an army to protect themselves.
I hope that the Europe that I live in never again needs to go, cap in hand,
to the American people. Because if that black day ever comes, I have the
feeling that America might just tell Europe where to go.
On the eve of war, there is a tangible anger in America. Some are saying that
America should bring home its 75,000 brave American soldiers who died in
France during the two World Wars. Their remains should be buried in patriotic
soil, not in a country that has turned its back on the United States.
That's the difference between the British and the Americans. We do not feel
that the British casualties in two World Wars died to liberate the French. We
believe that we were fighting for our nation's survival. Just like the
Russians.
It is different for you Americans. Throughout the 20th Century, through two
World Wars and one Cold War, America gave all the blood and money Europe
needed to keep it free. You feel that the current crisis and imminent War has
proved that Europeans are, when all is said and done, an ungrateful bunch of
'Euro Bastards' who do not give a thought about the 75,000 American graves in
Europe. America is indeed united in feeling betrayed by Europe, and rightly
so.
I have visited the graves of the fallen American flyers in Cambridge; I
salute those brave lads that died for the likes of me. I honour those young
airmen peacefully laid to rest in England's green and pleasant land. I for
one know the real price of freedom, those brave airmen laid under row upon
row of white stone, THEY show to me, that THEY gave me my 'Freedom'. They are
at peaceful rest, knowing that they have earned the right to be laid here in
a country that will never - never betray the American People.
America is finally starting to understand that, to Europe's eternal shame,
there is an opinion that 11th September 2001 was America's comeuppance. When
9/11 happened, we expected to see and indeed we did see Palestinians dancing
in the street. But who would have expected the grim look of satisfaction on
the faces of Old Europe? All the fault of American arrogance?
So all those men, women and children, secretaries, waiters, maintenance
technicians, firemen, office workers, pilots, passengers, all died because of
American arrogance?
We British are absolved of Europe's sins, for America has been reminded once
again that Britain is the best friend it has in the World, joined by our
blood, language, history, instinct and culture. When will we, the British,
wake up from our pathetic little dreams of being Europeans and realise that
we the British People have been looking for our future in all the wrong
places? I don't want to be called a European today, or even on the morrow, I
am not ungrateful, I am not unprincipled, I am not two faced, nor am I a
pacifist. I don't believe that a 'United Europe' will ever work, too many
countries with too many different ambitions and ideas of where we should be
Politically and Economically. They all have hidden agendas, which will I am
sure all end in tears. I say look to America for our future, we share too
much in common not to.
No matter what happens over the coming days and weeks, it is true to say:
'The English Channel is far wider than the Atlantic'. "
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Subj: New Cards
Date: 4/14/2003 2:56:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: rcoleman8@satx.rr.com
To: ben517@aol.com
Look great; if you can spare a few, I'd be happy to have them. Not often enough, I stop and think what a really unselfish and thoughtful thing it is you and Bob do for the rest of us. Thanks again, Randolph Coleman FCo
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Subj: Fwd: Blessed Easter Wish
Date: 4/14/2003 11:13:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: jalicki@yahoo.com ( Boom Boom Alicki )
To: ben517@aol.com
http://www.eakles.com/88easterpg.htm