Hello,
Website-------www.517prct.org
Mail Call----Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: Manhay
Date: 4/26/2003 2:33:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: e.monfort@belgacom.net
To: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
CC: Ben517@aol.com
File: manhay01.zip (455287 bytes) DL Time (TCP/IP): < 1 minute
Dear Mr Hensleigh,
I thanking you for your letter with the precious informations.
I have a few questions to asking you :
Can you please given me a few details on your arrival in the sector of Manhay in the evening of December 26th. In North of Manhay and later, on your depart line in the village of Vaux-Chavanne, on the East of Manhay ?
Who was Capt. Dearing ? Which is his first name etc...
About the patrol of Col. Paxton, I think that he was not alone for this job ! Did does this patrol with Kelly ?
Which is the name of Kelly and what was his job in the 517th ?
I included a photo of the Manhay crossroads :
The first house (that was situated at the corner with the road to Vaux-Chavanne) on the left, was the CP of Col. Paxton in Manhay. The house next to, was your aid station. Do you recognize these two buildings ?
In your souvenirs, you remember of an old lady that stayed in Manhay during the battle. The only civilian people in the village.
Next to, I included an other photo that was taken to the 30th December 1944 in Manhay. You can see an old ladies on a stretcher. She was probably evacuated by your troops.
What do you think about the photos ?
Can you tell me if it is possible that these three Gi's are from 517th ? I think so !
Maybe that we will found the names of these three soldiers...
I'm agree about the 17th tank battalion. This unit came in Manhay after its liberation by your troops.
The Sherman were sending in support of your unit but with the German gun situated in South of the village, the tanks of the 17th Tank Bn. can not cross the crossroads.
I read with many interest your letters... We don't forget the 517th and I will mention it in my book. The monument in Manhay, of the 325th Glider was inaugurated in 1984. It was the project of a renactor belgian group of the 82nd Airb.Div. that does this monument but also several others for all regiments of the 82nd Airborne. At this time, they asking to every administration (municipality) to included a monument where the 82nd Airb.Div. take positions etc. Manhay accept it and they install the monument in front of the municipal house. The 325th is just coming on 20th December in Manhay Crossroads and in the village of Vaux-Chavanne to the Christmas time, but do not participated at the battle in Manhay. (Malempre - Vaux-Chavanne are from the municipality of Manhay). The 325th Glider was in the villages of Fraiture - Regne - Hebronval - Lierneux - Bra. These villages are from the municipality of Vielsalm or Lierneux but they received already some others monuments (for 504th - 508th Inf.Rgt.etc...) and we put the 325th Glider for the municipality of Manhay.
Actualy, I translated your testimony and I will included it in my book !
Can I asking you one detail about you ? How old are you in December 1944 ?
The book will have for title "The Witness relate us..." In the writings of the book, I present the witness (Rank - Unit - Age ...) and I open the quotation marks. After I write the souvenirs of the witness.
Hope that all is fine for you !
Again thank you so much for your letter and informations. I'm really happy to be in touch with you.
I'm sending also this email and photos to our friend Benedict Barrett !
Very sincerely with all best wishes from your friend from Manhay.
Eddy
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Eddy MONFORT
15, Rue de la Gotte
B-6960 MANHAY
BELGIUM
Email: e.monfort@belgacom.net
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Subj: John Krumm SR.
Date: 4/26/2003 5:40:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Ge517ne
Ben, in my last letter to Mail Call I mentioned John Krumm Jr. with whom my wife and I traveled to Europe. Probably few of our Mail Call group knew John, Sr. He was in my squad and was a rather quite and unassuming young man who worked hard and did all that was expected of him. He was tough and was able to survive some tough experiences. One incident that probably no one ever heard
about was as a jump in North Carolina when his chute did not open all the way, a streamer was letting him down at break leg speed. We yelled at him to pull the reserve. For some reason he did not get it done and hit the ground very hard but bounced right up and kept going. I don't remember that he ever stopped except when it was the proper thing to do. He was in my squad when we were on out post duty overlooking Sospel where we each slept in our same holes for 30 nights. During the day he would go on patrols without evidence of fear. There were many times when we encountered significant enemy shelling day and night. He passed away several years ago without having had the opportunity to tell many stories. My understanding is that, like many others, he talked very little about his combat time. He and I went on a patrol one day. I was scared but John kept his cool which made the little mission more acceptable. We spotted many German troops leaving the area but did not engage them in any way, just a report back to our leader. After our 30 days on outpost near Sospel, we moved back to the area of Luceram. He and Art Little sneaked into town and downed a few, when they returned I started chewing them out and he and Little, who was large, told me to cool it or they would beat the hell out of me. Being a small and somewhat bright Squad leader I considered the situation and we went to bed in a barn. The next day I was assigned as squad leader of another squad for reasons not related to our encounter. I never saw John get upset again. He concentrated his fighting on the Germans.
Gene Brissey
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Subj: My Message to Mark Landreth Son Of Roy Landreth, Co.E
Date: 4/26/2003 11:24:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Tomx517
Ben:
The message that I sent to Mark Landreth and put you on info concerned his query about his Dad. It is good to see the sons and daughters of our present and departed comrades taking such an interest in their father's militaty history while in the 517th. It bodes well for our Legacy Project.
Regards
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Subj: Re: thanks
Date: 4/26/2003 11:17:32 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Tomx517
To: landmark54@hotmail.com
CC: Ben517
Mark:
Appreciate your remarks. Your Dad was one of my dearest friends. He joined Co. E in 1943. He was one of the first to arrive and I was impressed with him from the very beginning. I was the first C.O. of Co. E and it was one of the best commands I ever had because of the outstanding men who accompanied your father. We did the impossible mainly because there was no real standard at the time. We just did what we thought was right for that time and place and did not know that it could not be done. In fact I do not think that was ever a consideration.
I followed your Father's career very closely as he was something special for his day and time. We sought each other out at every Reunion and made it a point to bring each other up to date on what had transpired since our last meeting. Your Dad was a natural leader and admired by all who served with him. You have outstanding inherited genes. Use them well and you will stand tall like your Dad.
My very best wishes to you and you family and thanks again for the opportunity to remember your Dad.
Regards, Tom Cross
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Subj: Fwd: Fw: Fw: Do you agree? If so pass it on!
Date: 4/27/2003 12:00:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: coonas@webtv.net ( June Huffman )
To: Ben517@aol.com, breedinhouston@msn.com, Bigdegner@aol.com
Love, June
It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance.
tell the 14% to shut up and sit down????
If you agree, pass this on, if not delete...
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Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO. 470 517TH PRCT
Date: 4/27/2003 11:30:52 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
Ben: Cooks. I want to put in a work for our 3rd Bn. cooks. I think they were headed by Sgt. Hubbard (who may have been related to the old lady Hubbard who went to the cubbard to find her poor dogy a bone). They were our litter bearers in combat, because our kitchens were fifty miles to the rear. Litter bearing is tough dangerous work. They go where the lead is flying to retrieve those who are not walking wounded. The job also requires strength of mind and body. After a tough combat mission they were as exhauseted as any of the rest of us. Nevertheless, when we got out of combat for a few days such as at Stavelot, The cooks were supposed to be on deck at four in the morning to prepare a great breakfast for our deserving troops. The KPs, believing they had done enough in combat, jumped out the window when the sergeant truned his back. This resulted in a mess in both senses of the word. Our cooks, with the help of the S-2 section, developed a relationship with a local Stavelot baker who was delighted to see a little white flour. This relationship within a day turned the "mess" into a banquet three times a day. The results spread to the Bn. commander who always had Frank Longo prepare his meals at his quarters. Lt. Col Paxton soon was attending the Bn. mess hall thre times a day. Has anyone heard from any of our 3rd Bn. Cooks?? In spite of Col. Walsh's desire to get them jump pay, I don't think any of ours were entitled to that fifty bucks a month. Howard Hensleigh
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Subj: Re: 517 Guestbook
Date: 4/27/2003 7:54:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: mjkanejd@earthlink.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
Thank you Ben. That would be Great. Dad was in the Bulge. Got a Purple Heart there, as did many from the 517th I am sure. I would be honored to be on the email roster.
Sincerely,
Mike Kane
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Mike would ike to hear from anyone who knew his dad. Michael Kane Sn. was in D company.-Ben