Hello,
Website ---www.517prct.org
Mail Call---Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: Sospel and the Units
Date: 5/29/2003 3:00:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
Dear Ben: We are getting close to take off time. SOSPEL I WAS DELIGHTED TO FIND WE HAVE FRIENDS IN SOSPEL. What we called the le Golf Hotel was our 3rd Bn. Hq. I have some pictures of Erv Pinkston and me standing in the artillery damage to some of the upper floors. We used the lower floors where the enemy artillery only got a little plaster down our necks. They shelled us every noon hour hoping to catch our chow line. They didn’t have much luck. A replacement lieutenant was taking some replacements up on the mountains there when an enemy mortar round landed several hundred yards away. He was not fit for combat and abandoned the men who were led on by a stalwart airborne sergeant. The lieutenant broke all records in high tailing it back to Bn Hq. where he knew it must be safe. He got there just as another barrage of artillery hit the Hotel. I think he was court-martialed . We never saw him again. I hope to get my scanning equipment up and will send pictures to Mail Call when it works. We heard that the Duke of Windsor played golf there. I’m not sure whether that was before or after he met that American broad, Wally Simpson, for whom he gave up the throne. We talked to a family just outside Sospel on a patrol. The enemy may have been watching. When we came back the Germans had carried them off to a fate we never learned. Can anyone tell me they came back to Sospel safely? UNITS OF THE TEAM Each one of us was part of the Combat Team. But we had our individual units of which we were proud. I hope in this reunion we can assemble members of those units so all will have a chance to swap stories about them and be prepared to keep in touch with unit members in the years ahead.
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Subj: 13th airborne
Date: 5/28/2003 11:20:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: PRCT517
Dad,
Actually, that book of the 13th Airborne history (received from Al Goodman) has a whole chapter about the 517th, as well as the 596th and the 460th. It includes a lot of photos that I haven't seen in other places. So I will be posting parts of that to the web site.
I did post one page about David de Varona of the Red Cross. The story is that he did not get into the army, but then joined the Red Cross as Field Director for the 517th. Does that make sense? You can get to the page from the Table of Contents or from the Documents page.
Bob
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Subj: ready on the firing line
Date: 5/28/2003 8:24:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: eharger@chartermi.net
Ben/Tinker tour:
I must be psychic, I was reluctant to sign on for this one but thought my
wife and daughter(who lives there in OK City) might enjoy it.
I suggest we dust off our ol' mothballed Thomson Subs and BARs and
storm the Bastille! It is coming sooner or later anyway!
Blue skies
El
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Subj: reunion
Date: 5/28/2003 8:41:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: eharger@chartermi.net
To: mattdeo@g2a.net
CC: Ben517@aol.com
Dear Matt and Delores:
SORRY to hear you will not be there!
Maybe we can see you in late June/ I will be at Shiocton, WI to skydive
over the weekend. If you are not too far away come over, I'll buy the beer/coffee/pop your choice!
Blue Skies
El
PS Norma and I drove to Illinois in March to help Harry Hewitt celebrate his 80th. He looked in great shape, wife is ailing tho, so he didn't plan to attend!
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Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO. 486 517TH PRCT
Date: 5/28/2003 8:46:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: reber83@insightbb.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Dear Ben,
I will happily assist in every way possible with the website exposure, demonstration, instruction. I may even be prone to attempt to break down resistance to the onset of technology and e-mail (gently, of course), to those less inclined to try it on their own.
I am really looking forward to attending another bi-annual reunion. The last major 517th reunion I went to was Ft. Bragg in the 1970's. I have memories of the first (1964) reunion in Fayetteville/Raleigh of the kiddie jump tower and dinner at the governor's (Terry Sanford) mansion. I remember Colorado Springs and visiting with Dick Spencer's family. I also have many memories of the New Orleans reunion and watching the airborne drop at the 2nd Ft. Bragg reunion. During that reunion we toured the Special Forces area and the weapons display showed a B.A.R. marked as "Obsolete". I thought Lt. (Sweet Pea) Renton was going to practically cry when viewing that sign. He had a high regard for that weapon.
For Mr. Darden:
I am signed up for Tinker AFB, but please do not hesitate to use my spot for others. Rather than disappointing anyone, I would gladly give my spot to another. I hope this will assist you with your planning. You have done a great job and I hate to see you get thrown such a curveball this late in the game. Or, if you prefer, I will have a rental car available that may be used for overflow. Either way, please count on my total cooperation.
Best regards,
Tom
(son of Lt. Bob Reber, HQ, 3rd)
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Date: 5/28/2003 10:47:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: grandstadlers@msn.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Hello Ben
Just a short note to wish you and the men a boisterous, disorderly, and successful
gathering in O.C.
Brett is still in Iraq. If the U.S. had not played "paddy-cake" with the U.N. for so
long, he would probably be home and looking forward to O.C. If necessary, he was going to take leave to do so.
Regards
Tom Stadler
*********************
Tom is the son of Burton L Stadler who was attached to Hq Co/2nd Bn as a pathfinder. He also served with members of F Co. He was 29 yrs old upon his arrival to Camp Toccoa. Tom who is a former Marine and his son Brett is a Navy physcian, They are interested in finding someone who knew Burton L Stadler-Ben
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Subj: Projector and Laptop
Date: 5/29/2003 11:06:25 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: wadeg@iavi.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Hi Ben, In response to the need for a projector and laptop. I own a projector distribution company and we have hundreds of projectors. I can supply one for free and a laptop as well. Please let me know by tomorrow and I will bring one with me to OK City. Best regards, Wade GilbertInternational Audio Visual, Inc.wadeg@iavi.comwww.iavi.comTel. 954-630-9797 Ext. 106Fax.954-630-9775
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-Subj: Mail Call 486--Tinker Tour
Date: 5/29/2003 12:58:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Ge517ne
To: Ben517, louettad2001@yahoo.com
First I convey deepest thanks to Lou and Jessie for all they have done to prepare for this reunion. I know that it is impossible to understand just how difficult it is to do what they have done and what they still have to do. Edie and I will arrive about noon on Monday and want to offer any assistance within our means to help Lou and Jessie with the many tasks necessary after the reunion begins. I hurt as I read the Tinker tour problems. Lets find ways to relieve the load that faces them. I don't want to interfere or make things more difficult, but I offer this recommendation as a possible partial relief of the problem though it is a bit contrary to what Lou has considered. The men only view might not be the best solution. I can visualize that many men would gladly give their space to a relative because we men have no doubt seen more of military bases than we care to remember. I can see the possibility that many women or other relatives having a real interest in touring an air force base. For the women more interest than a luncheon. Please don't misunderstand me, I am not trying to run the show but why not let the men and their families decide who among a given family will go. We men could set up an old fashioned poker or crap game, we might even use a latrine for the crap games. That worked well in the old days. I'm going to try to forward a copy of this to Lou and Jessie and request their understanding and the fact that I am not trying to interfere wit their plans and the desires of those involved.
Gene Brissey