Hello,
I just received the 2nd Quarter 2003 issue of the Thunderbolt. It is the last one that will be published by Merle McMorrow.
Merle has earned the right to persue other interest. I doubt if we would even have an active Association today if Merle hadn't gone to Tennessee to retrieve records and information from Bill Lewis prior to Bill's death. Merle has been a past president, hosted the Bismarck reunion, published the Thunderbolt , and took over for Al Goodman at the Oklahoma City reunion .He is now one of our elder statesmen and I am sure his advise and counsel will be sought by the Association in the future.
Ben
Website------www.517prct.org
Mail Call-----Ben517@aol.com
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Subj: Fw: Fw: Check out Train Of Life
Date: 8/19/2003 7:04:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: artann3447@juno.com (Tom Mcavoy )
Click here: Train Of Life
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Subj: Hello old friend
Date: 8/20/2003 11:53:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: artann3447@juno.com
To: jneiler@yahoo.com, Ben517@aol.com
Boy, it has been so long since I heard anything from you, I am crowding
80 years now John, I think you are about 5 years older than I ????is your
wife still liveing???We (my wife and I ) went back to Seillans France 3-4
years ago, visited with the people that took care of me just after the
jump (for 6 days) I had gone back 2 years before that also, The town put
on a big celebration for me (they claim I liberated the village as I was
the first American there,) The Press was there photograghers, there
small local newspaper reporter, interviewed me, and since they didnot
have a picture of me ran a picture of a British General and claimed it
was my picture???We had a nice dinner out under a big big oak tree,
everyone in town was invited, maybe 30 40 showed up. I enjoyed it very
much, Flew into Paris and caught the super fast train to Nice, Haveing
been a locomotive Engineer I really enjoyed that ride. Tom McAvoy
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Subj: In re: Jess Pipkin
Date: 8/20/2003 1:51:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: chrislindner@bellsouth.net
To: ben517@aol.com, bobx517@juno.com
Hi Ben and Bob: I just wanted to let you know that I talked to Jess Pipkin today and he is still in the hospital but is going home this weekend, September 23, 2003. Jess told me his e-mail address is the same as I sent you (Ben you said you sent him something and it was returned) but anyway he said his e-mail is jpipkin@tol.com I e-mailed Merle McMorrow and he sent Jess a copy of the Thunderbolt which he did receive. This is Jess’ address and phone number Jesse Pipkin1498 LCR 778Groespeck. TX 21785Home Phone: 254-385-6578 I told Jess that I had to go to Austin, Texas this Saturday and I will be gone a week. I am helping my daughter move into a new apartment before the lst semester starts at UT. Jess told me to e-mail him when I get back and when he is home and if the e-mail comes back to me we can straighten it out then. At least this time I remembered to get his home phone number so I can call him. Hope you both have a good day. Chris LindnerNate Rubenstein’s daughter
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Subj: Re: Thunderbolt
Date: 8/21/2003 2:46:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: LYNZOOT
Hi Ben,
My name is Lynda Estrella and I am Elbert Duran's granddaughter. I forward all the emails to him so he can read them. I just spoke to him and asked him to write a little something for "Mail Call". He wanted to know what to write about. Any suggestions??
Thanks so much!!
Lynda
********88
There is an intereting story in the Thunderbolt about Bert Duran ( A Co. )-Ben
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Entry of Aug 21, 2003 at 12:19 [EST]
Name: Joe Combest
Unit:
EMail: Joe.Combest@RaymondJames.com
How I found the 517th page: Other
Comments: My dad, Ben Combest, was in 517. G Company, I think. He does not like to talk about it. This website is a great reference. Thanks.
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Entry of Aug 21, 2003 at 20:03 [EST]
Name: LTC Stevenson M. Wallace
Unit: Special Forces
EMail: smacgw@excite.com
How I found the 517th page: Link from another web page
Comments: My Dad was in the 517th, in G Co, PFC Charles Wallace, he was wounded in the battle of the Bulge, mustered out at Bragg I believe as a Sgt. He's in the VA hospital near Nashville TN now with lung cancer, doesn't look good. He told me so many stories about the Regiment and the battles and the men who made history... Best regards, Stevenson M. Wallace
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Subj: RE: Ben Combest
Date: 8/22/2003 12:49:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: joe.combest@raymondjames.com
Ben,
Thanks for your e-mail. My dad is doing very well, he turns 80 next month. Until I visited the 517 web site I had no idea of the significance of the action my dad must have been involved in. He has never spoken of his experiences other than in the context of a few "funny" stories. I have encouraged him to attend a reunion and have offered to take him but he declines. Even though he is very proud of his unit and service and speaks very fondly of his old buddies, I think he is unwilling to attend a reunion due to the fear of too many painful memories.
The 517 web site is a great resource and I appreciate it a great deal. I have ordered the book "Battling Buzzards" from the list on the web-site. If you happen to know anyone from G company who may have known my dad, I would love to hear from any of them.
Thanks,
Joe Combest, CFP
Financial Advisor, Branch Manager
Raymond James Financial Services
member NASD/SIPC
(909) 520-0061
400 S. Ramona Ave. #113
Corona, CA 92882
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Subj: 517
Date: 8/22/2003 10:40:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: JBJB93
To: newacct1088254, Ben517
Hello Boom Boom,
You mentioned that Dragoon jump as thinking you were going into water. My father in law Ed Marconi always said he thought he was jumping into water as well. Infact, he thought that some of the troopers on that jump feared being dragged under what they thought was water, so they released there parachute belts and hit the ground - dead. Has anyone heard that?
PS: About the gentleman with pain in the legs. My father had pain that was releaved by adjustment of his water pill that he takes for Diabetes.
John Bramswig
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_kedwards@nts-online.net
To: Ben517@aol.com
It’s been a long summer. School took up most of my time, but I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science August 9th. I begin a Master’s program in French next month. Right now, I am busily working on separating the Mike Kane photos into individual photographs and creating a database for the identifications. My hope is that Bob Christie will be able to publish them in the Thunderbolt. There are men from D Co. on the roster that may not have access to the website. Kelly Edwards (daughter of Mel)