Hello,
Still catching up on news about the reunion.
Howard Hensleigh is our new president, Gene Frice is vice president, Lud Gibbons 2nd vice president. I will list board of directors as soon as our secretary Leo Dean sends the list to me.
We had many children and some grand children of members at the reunion ( a sign of things to come?) and I was able to chat with them while members were napping.
The 517th Associatfion would like all members if able to do so to make a donation once a year to help keep it virable. A $20 gift would be adequate. You could send it in during the month of your birthday , August 15 or after April 15 if you have anything left.
Ben
Website-----www.517prct.org
Mail Call---Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: Re: MAIL CALL 490 517TH PRCT
Date: 6/10/2003 8:21:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: hhensleigh@earthlink.net
Ben: This is a message for D. E. Compton, LTC USA (Ret) regarding his boyhood friend Willis A. Woodcock, who was killed near Col de Braus on September 12, 1944. I did not know Willis well, but there must be many in I Company who did. We encourage them to contribute what they knew. I can tell you how he died on that September afternoon. I trust that you will be able to bear with me, because it was a significant day in the life of the 3rd Bn. of the 517th and needs telling in a comprehensive manner. Since it may be of interest to others, I will answer through Mail Call. We may not have been as forthright in earlier years, but now, we should say it like it was. Willis was a private in I Co. in Lt. Reed Terrell’s platoon. G and H occupied ridge X to the right of Col de Braus. Lt. Riddler was killed and Lt. Spencer was wounded in the attack on Ridge X. At least a company of German infantry occupied a thousand yards or more to the right of Ridge X. I Co. was to the right of the enemy near Mt. Scandeous. We could reach G & H by the road that led to Col de Braus, but no roads led from our rear positions to I. They were out of rations, water and ammo. Some of my S-2 men and I took a jeep piled high with supplies through Menton to reach I. The last 500 yards were exposed to the enemy and they fired artillery at us, but we made it. We always feared we would hit a mine and called the jeep Minesweeper. LTC Paxton wanted the Bn. united and gave I an order to attack the intervening Germans to join G &H. Captain Marty Fastia, I Co. CO, apparently had had enough combat and went down into a cave. Captain Joe McGeever who had commanded Hq. 3rd from its inception had been promoted to 3rd Bn. Executive Officer, but had not yet received his major’s leaves. He came up by foot to straighten things out. He went down into the cave for some time, but came out alone. What happened down in that cave died with Joe that afternoon. He said nothing about it to anyone when he came out. He and Marty had been company commanders in the battalion for a long time and it is quite possible that he was emotionally disturbed about what transpired in the cave. Joe had taken a lot of risks, achieved spectacular results, and so far had gotten by with it. I had talked with the I men and told Joe that at least a company of enemy lay between I and ridge X, that they were well dug in and primed for a fight. He had assembled Terrell’s platoon and said he would be over there in 30 Minutes. We all had reservations, but Joe was the type of leader we would follow into the jaws os hell. The bazooka men were at the tail of the platoon. I had trained them in Italy, so for that reason and for other obvious ones, I went with them. There was no artillery or mortar preparation so bazookas could be used against the enemy bunkers. We had gone only two or three hundred yards when German machine guns and burp guns opened up and Willis Woodcock and Joe McGeever were dead. I think they both died instantly. Until our recent reunion at Oklahoma City, I had thought that Willis was a lead scout and that he and Joe were leading the platoon. I talked with the lead scout, (whose name I should remember) however, and learned that he was out ahead as he should have been. He had gone down a slight depression the in the terrain. The shots that killed Joe and Willis went over his head. They also critically wounded Reed Terrell and Sgt. Dan Brogdan, who for a long time had been Joe’s runner–since promoted. We were pinned down with a hail of fire coming from well prepared dug in positions. There was an immediate call for "Medic!". Terrell had a cousin in the company who was a medic. Medics usually ran forward crouched to make a low profile. He came forward upright in the hail of lead waving a red cross emblem on a long pole. The Germans may have mistaken this for a white surrender flag. At any rate they stopped firing. We went forward to get the wounded and learned that Joe and Willis had been killed. Lt Maciag who, as assistant platoon leader, was up front with Terrell told me years later at a reunion, that Joe was looking through field glasses when he was hit. Dan Brogdan, who was wounded in both arms, was moved back into the German troops as a prisoner. The Germans somehow communicated that they were taking us all as prisoners. We responded with lowered M-1s that there would be lead flying at point blank range and they backed off. I would like to end by encouraging you to give us some insight about Willis A. Woodcock’s boyhood and what he was like as he grew up to be a paratrooper with the 517th and to encourage others in I company to give you more of what they knew about Willis, one of the names in the Southern France Memorial Service "In Memoriam". The story should not end with the death of Willis and Joe McGeever, the severely wounded Reed Terrell, and the wounded and captured Dan Brogdan. Reed along with Bob Reber were rehabilitated for spinal cord damage at VA hospitals. They were always good friends, but were in contact during Rehab, both married, raised families and attended our reunions. I have heard that Dan lived through his POW days and returned to the States. He told me on Tennessee maneuvers that after the war he would be down there in the valley making corn liquor. Maybe that is where he is today. The next dawn after Joe and Willis were killed, six Germans came up to our lines and were preparing to strip the bodies of valuables when they were discovered by Sgt. Frank Dallas a sharp eyed I company noncom, later to become a LTC in the Special Forces. He emptied the clip in his M-1 and all six were dead. It took about three days for LTC Paxton to prepare a coordinated attack on the enemy that separated his companies. We preceded it with G company night patrols that went right among the enemy bunkers. Artillery and mortars were zeroed in, including Naval guns from the nearby Mediterranean. When it let up we threw in bazooka rounds leaving the enemy with the impression that artillery was still falling. We caught them in their bunkers and holes with white phosphoreus grenades. We killed or captured the entire company without losing a man. The German first sergeant went down the hill to Col de Braus with his bare buttock exposed, the seat of his pants burned off by a WP grenade. Some Air Corps officers had been sent up to observe how the infantry did things. They were all dolled up in pinks and greens, but wore steel helmets. The Germans were not happy about losing the last high ground above Sospel. In the counter attack that followed, we held, but Lt. Hillard B. Thomas was killed and the fly boys were knocked down by incoming artillery, not badly damaged, but enough for a purple heart something to talk about along with their dogfight stories. If you or Willis’s family have additional interest, I will be happy to provide additional details and a copy of the Memorial Service record that misspells Willis’ name as Woodcook. Sincerely yours, Howard E. Hensleigh, 479 West Street Carlisle, MA 01741
***************
Hi Merle.
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Subj: Re: Willis A. Woodcock
Date: 6/10/2003 10:13:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: LTCCompton
Dear Ben: Thank you so very much for the information concerning my friend Willis Woodcock. Please pass on to the gentleman that gave it to you my sincere thanks and appreciation. This morning I again visited the grave site and removed the grass and dirt that had overtaken the marker.His name was barely visible.I also placed an American Flag on the grave. His mother and father are buried next to him. Willis had two sisters that would be in their 70's, but I have no idea if they are still living or even in this area. I have taken on the responsibility to look after his final resting place as long as I am able. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Denny Compton
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Subj: Reunion
Date: 6/10/2003 5:09:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: mortjame@mac.com
Reply-to: jem@n2hos.com
Hi Ben
I had so hoped to make it to OKC. But two weeks beforehand, my wife of
56 plus years had a minor stroke. Since she is already confined to a
scooter full time, this was a major setback. Since then, we've improved
things a bit but she requires considerable more care than before. Part
of growing old, I guess.
Maybe next time.
Best
Jim Mortensen
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Subj: Reunion
Date: 6/10/2003 2:59:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: gwtayler@juno.com
Hi Ben, look forward to hearing about the reunion in future issues of
MAIL CALL!
An e-mail from Margaret Sink Swenson (father was Bob Sink of 506th, I
believe) said there would be an all units that trained at Toccoa reunion
in September. Have you heard about this?
Thanks so much for all of your work!
Gail W.T
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Subj: Peace Through Strength
Date: 6/9/2003 8:28:02 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: BoomBoomAlicki
To: Ben517
"Americans today are grimly aware that the world remains a very dangerous
place. We know that we face ruthless enemies whose stated goal is nothing
less than the destruction of Western freedom. And while we acknowledge the
value of diplomacy and negotiation, we also know that sometimes the way to
deal with a deadly menace is not to pass another UN resolution but to send
in the 82d Airborne."
- Columnist Jeff Jacoby
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Subj: Happy
Date: 6/10/2003 10:03:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Dallasandjerrie
Ben:
Dallas and I are happy that the next reunion will be in Savannah. It is one of our favorite places to go. We certainly plan to come if possible. Thank you and all the people shared the Okla. reunion. We will always regret not getting to come. Jerrie and Dallas
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Subj: (no subject)
Date: 6/11/2003 11:40:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: LTCCompton
To: Ben517
Hi Ben: I have continued looking for other boyhood friends that died in WW II, in addition to Willis Woodcock of the 517th. As you know Willis died on 12 September 1944. A few minutes ago, while checking on the internet, I found out that another friend was killed in St. James, France on 12 September 1944. He is still buried overseas. I really appreciate the help you and Mr. Hensleigh gave me on Willis. I sent Mr. Hensleigh a thank you E-mail msg.
Denny Compton
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Subj: PFC Edward Snyder, H Co. captured Dec 27, 1944?
Date: 6/10/2003 10:46:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: PRCT517
To: Ben517
If you can open this, go to page 8:
http://www.battleofthebulge.org/musings/Mus0495.pdf
Bob
The story is also onthe Contents page on the website-Ben_