Hello,
Bob continues to add information to the website. Most new stuff is listed on the contents page.
Take special note of the collage drawn especially for us for the OK
reunion by Dan of the World War 11 Demonstration Team. It is most likely that Dan was not even born when we were over there but if you examine the collage, you will see that it describes much of our history and better than we who were there could.illustrate it.
Ben
Website-------www.517prct.org
Mail Call----Ben517@aol.com
______________________________________________________________
Subj: Oklahoma Reunion
Date: 6/22/2003 1:48:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Bigdegner
To: Ben517, lou@thedardens.net
Dear Kristie,Lou,Jessie:
You guys are out of this world! What a wonderful job you did putting on one of the best Reunions I have attended. OK City is a nice place and the tour company you selected was first class.
Thanks for everything,
Darrell Egner
Hq 2nd Bn
_________________________________________________________________________
Subj: Thanks Ben & Bob
Date: 6/22/2003 3:19:09 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Bigdegner
To: Ben517
Bob
I would appreciate it if you would put the following in the next Mail Call, thanks.
It is my understanding that approximately 250 persons attended the OK City reunion.
Thanks to the Jessie, Kristie and Lou for all their hard work in putting on the best reunion ever. The tour guides were interesting and knowledgeable.
The Kissimmee Reunion will be held the 3rd week in January 2004. Last year the Hq 2nd Bn. had the largest attendance ever. We had 24 people attend. How about the rest of you trying to beat our record. Bob Christie will have more information on this in the November Thunderbolt.
Bless Bob Christie for taking on the job as editor for the Thunderbolt. While Mail Call is the greatest thing to come along since ice cream many troopers are not on the Internet thus they get there news from reading the Thunderbolt. In conjunction with this General Seitz requested (ordered) that I coordinate all 2nd Bn Hq news and fill the Thunderbold. Come on Guys lets lead the pack and keep our news paper going. Send your stories, pictures, etc., by snail mail or E-mail to Bob Christie (bobx517@juno.com) or to Darrell Egner, 11707 Tierra Verde Lane, Jacksonville, Fl 32258 (BIGDEGNER@AOL.COM). A special thanks to Merle McMorrow for keeping our news paper going after Bill Lewis passing.
Our next Reunion will be held in Savannah, Georgia in 2005. Helen and Hal Beddow will host this one. Savannah is a great town and steeped in history. In OK City Helen took so many notes she got writers cramp. More information will follow as soon as they put all the pieces together. Thanks Helen and Hal for taking on two years of hard work. After meeting you two I know you can handle it.
I am looking forward to working with the new slate of Officers and Board members. Come on all you troopers help fill the Thunderbolt so we will always have something to read. Bob Christie has taken on a tough job and it will only work if all of you contribute. Many of the things I see in Mail Call should go to Bob in hard copy so the troopers that don't have computers can share in the great stuff we read everyday from Bob Barrett.
Bob thanks for letting me take up this much space. I will mail a hard copy of this to all Hq 2nd troopers that don't have E-mail addresses.
Darrell Egner
Hq 2nd Bn.
____________________________________________________________________________
Subj: Airborne Demonstration Team
Date: 6/23/2003 4:19:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: flip@strato.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
Ben,
After the banquet George Hicks, a member of the World War 11 Airborne Demonstration Team, ask me to write the following to members of the 517th Parachute Combat Team. Would you please put it on Mail Call? I am also sending Bob Christie a copy so he can put it in the Thunderbolt.
Thanks!!!!!!!
Adrianna L. Polk Co. D
The World War 11 Airborne Demonstration Team is building a Web site, and would like to include information about the men of the 517th. Please send a statement regarding when you entered the service, what events took place while you served, and the date you were discharged to George Hicks, WW11 ADT, 711 Manvel, Chandler, Oklahoma 74834.
**************
They have a link to our website with a prominent display of the 517 insignas.-Ben
__________________________________________________________________________
Entry of Jun 21, 2003 at 19:28 [EST]
Name: John Winn
Unit: 5/20th Inf, 2/7th Inf,4/12th Inf. 1990-96
EMail: C46thVA@yahoo.com
How I found the 517th page: From a search engine
Comments: Hi Ive been researching the 517th for awhile now and I've got some questions regarding insignia. 1) When was the "Pocket Patch" designed? In "Battling Buzzards" the author claims that this a post war patch but in "1st Airborne Task Force" on page 296 we see PFC Terrel wearing one on his jacket. 2) The 2nd Battalion Scroll also illustrated on pg 296 as well as on pg 58 of "Geronimo!", was this scroll used by any other battalions during the war? Are there any photos showing this scroll being worn on any sort of dress uniform? The reason Iam interested is becuase I am organizing a Living History group to portray the 517th PRCT. We want to get it right!! We are having some of these scrolls made up to use in our display. Thanks John
________________________________________________________
Subj: Photos Help
Date: 6/24/2003 10:29:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: louettad2001@yahoo.com
To: ben517@aol.com
At the O K City reuunion Lou, Kristie an I were so
busey we did not get to take any Photos, If anyone
could send us your NEGS I can make copies for my album
, Help would be apreciated. Jesse Darden 343 W
Adams McAlester Okla 74501 See you in FL.
THANKS"""".
__________________________________
Subj: email
Date: 6/25/2003 8:40:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: m5895@duracom.net
Dear Ben I have not receive any
email from you in about a week
now. Hope you have accidently
deleted me. If so would you
please put back on the mailing
list. Thank you Merlin ALLARD
m5895@ duracom.net
*******************
We haven't sent out Mail Call since #501 , JE 21.Have to receive mail in order to send out Mail Call. Send mail.-Ben
___________________________________________________________________________
Subj: Camp Toccoa
Date: 6/25/2003 11:18:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: c46thva@yahoo.com
Ben
Are you planning on attending the Camp Toccoa Veterans Reunion in september? My friends and I are planning on attending. We will be portraying troopers from the 517th as they would have appeared prior to the jump into Southern France. At present I think we are the only group in the country that reenacts the 517th. at least 6 of us are planning on coming.
John
_____________________________________________________________________________
Subj: a request
Date: 6/26/2003 12:44:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: JohnC46thVA@aol.com
To: mailcall@517prct.org
Ben
I was wondering if I could be included in the unit "Mail Call" I realize that Iam not a veteran of the 517th,however I have a keen interest in the history of the unit. Iam the head of a reenactment group which portrays the wartime 517th PRCT. Most of us are former soldiers ourselves and a few are even former paratroopers. If you feel that including me in the Mail Call is inappropriate I fully understand and take no offense what so ever.
John Winn
Richmond VA