Hello.,
Veterans who are members of the American Legion can get a good discount on precription drugs by presenting their American Legion card to most pharmacys. Discount also applies to family of members. No red tape involved.
The copy of the morning report that I sent to Neil Blanton was provided to me by Clark Archer.
Ben
Website-------www.517prct.org
Mail Call----Ben517@aol.com
________________________________________________
-Subj: Enter my name on Mail Call
Date: 8/25/2003 6:19:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: lemairecoa505rct@yahoo.com
To: mailcall@517prct.org
Dear Ben,
Please enter my name on Mail Call......I have already entered an entry on
your registry..
Thanks,
Fondest Airborne regards
Jim (Frenchie) LeMaire
Entry of Aug 13, 2003 at 09:55 [EST]
Name: James R. Lemaire
Unit: "A' Co. Hq. 505RCT, 82nd A/B (7/44 - 3/45)
EMail: lemairecoa505rct@yahoo.com
How I found the 517th page: A friend told me
Comments: Am searching for anyone who might have been in Co "I" of 517 during WW2 and who might have known JOHN S. PENN.... John was with the 517 Co "I" on Christmas roster 1944 and KIA at Manhay on 12/27/44. A friend in Rochlinval/Trois-Ponts area would like information in regarding his hometown who might have still be around. He has some equipment belonging to the former trooper and would love getting in touch with someone to see if perhaps they would like this to be sent to anyone n his family. I can be reached at the above email address or at : James R. Lemaire, 1499 Chretien Pt. Rd., Sunset, Louisiana 70584-5309. Sincerely, Jim Lemaire
__________________________________________________
Subj: Mail Call
Date: 8/25/2003 6:59:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: jcombest@rjfs.com
To: Ben517@aol.com
Hi Ben,
Thank you for inviting me onto the mail call list. I absolutely want to be included. I am pleasantly surprised to find that you extend an invitation to children of the troopers. I have been reading a few e-mails already and am VERY interested! My e-mail address is Joe.Combest@RaymondJames.com. I saw an invitation from Howard Hensleigh to attend a reunion. I might just take him up on it.
Thanks again,
Joe Combest
*************
" Come on down" Joe's father is Benjamin Combest -G company-Ben
___________________________________________________________-
Subj: 'H'company
Date: 8/25/2003 9:43:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Garandaddy@cs.com
Dear Ben,
I get forwarded e-mails from Tom Macavoy, & I have noticed that you were in 'H' company of the 517th. I wonder if you knew my Cousin, pvt. Layton Pippin, who was K.I.A. at Trois Ponts Belguim, Jan 5, 1945. I have been to a couple of reunions, & have met Fred Harmon, Herbert Ford, Tom Macavoy, & Jim Degmon, but I don't recall having met you. I am a huge military history buff, especially the 517th. Please let me hear from you. Respectfully, Morris
***************
Layton Pippin was killed by the same shell that wounded me and 16 other members of H Co. It actually was in Bergerval right after we moved out from Trois Ponts-Ben
_______________________________________________________________________
Subj: Re: 'H'company
Date: 8/26/2003 4:27:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Garandaddy@cs.com
Hey Ben,
Thanks for answering my E-Mail. This is really interesting, that you were wounded by the shell that killed Layton. I have done extensive research of his military career. My Aunt, (his Mother) gave me his combat boots, his medals, high school class ring etc. & I have made a little memorial to him, with lots of military photos, & family photos. I met a man at the Benning reunion that told me he took the personal effects off Layton. I remember that he lived in Alabama, but I can't recall his name, would you happen to know that? Yes, put me on your mailing list. I am an M1 Garand collector, & may several military memorabilia. I would like to meet you some time if we could work it out. Regards, Morris McDowell
____________________________________________________________________
Subj: FW: Flight Delay
Date: 8/25/2003 11:31:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Michael.Carrillo@rcc.edu
To: ben517@aol.
This is something for us all to think about. I thank all of you for what You guys of the 517 have given us!! Freedom! It's funny that on my birthday 8-15-44, I called my Dad to wish him a Happy Anniversary for 59 years ago he and the the rest of you jumped at the Battle of the Bulgde, this made my birthday very special. C-U Michael Carrillo (Beaver Carrillo's son).
FLIGHT DELAY
I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for everyone to hurry and stow their carry ons and grab a seat so we could start what I was sure to be a long and uneventful flight home. With the huge capacity and slow moving people taking their time to stuff luggage far too big for the overhead and never paying much attention to holding up the growing line behind them, I simply shook my head knowing that this flight was not starting out very well and although I had a great bunch of meetings while conducting business on this trip, it was quickly becoming tarnished with these delays in my getting home to my loved one whom I had not seen in several days.
The meetings although fruitful were long and I had not slept well, not to mention those blasted new dress shoes that rubbed a blister on my heel. I was pretty focused on "my" issues and just felt like standing up and yelling for some of these clowns to get their act together and focus on taking their seats. Knowing I couldn't say anything that would really help, I just thumbed thru the sky mall widget magazine from the seat pocket in front of me. You know it's really getting rough when you resort to the over priced and mostly useless sky mall crap to break the monotony and inconvenience of the trouble "I" was going thru. With everyone finally on board and seated, we just sat there with the cabin door open and seemingly no one in any hurry to get us going even though we were well past our scheduled take off time. The paper work had not yet come in to the flight deck, the attendants just stood around talking.
No wonder the airline industry is in trouble I told myself. Don't they realize we have some place we are supposed to be? We should be treated with more importance, after all we are the customers, right? Just then, the attendant came on the intercom to inform us all "that we were being delayed"...as she paused, the entire plane let out a collective groan. She resumed her announcement, "We are holding the aircraft for some very special people who are on their way to the plane and that the delay should not be more than five more minutes. Their connecting flight had traveled a long way and we would get underway just as soon as possible."
Now, I have had this happen to me before and more often than not, I had to catch the next flight or even go to another carrier to get to my destination. Still, I was grateful for the times when they waited for me, so I thought that I would go back to my sky mall pages and try to forget just how much "I" was being inconvenienced.
As the word came from a scrambling attendant down the connecting tunnel to the main cabin door I thought that maybe she had some information that would let us know why we had been sitting there for over 30 minutes!! Had someone finally given word that after waiting six times as long as we were first promised that "I" was finally going to be on my way home? Why the hoopla over when these folks? Just get their butts in a seat and lets hit the gas, I thought to myself.
After a few minutes we were all "locked on" when the attendant came back on the speaker, semi expecting some celebrity or sport figure to be announced as the reason the aircraft was delayed so long. I thought who cares, let's go! She announced in a loud and excited voice that we were being joined by several United States Marines returning home from Iraq!!!! Just as they walked onboard the entire plane erupted into applause. The men were a bit taken by the surprise of the 340+ people cheering for them as they searched for their seats. It didn't stop, they were having their hands shook and touched by almost everyone who was within an arm's distance of them as they tried to push thru the aisles. Whistles, cheering, an occasional "oorrahh", one elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the Marines as he passed by her, and the applause didn't stop for a long time as they continued toward the back of the aircraft.
When we finally got in the air, I am sure I was not the only civilian checking his conscience as to the "delays" in me getting home from my "hard business meetings", finding my easy chair and remote, a cold beverage, and tending to my blister. In fact I felt pretty stupid as I am sure many did. After what these men had done for all of us, and I had been complaining silently about "me" and "my issues"?
It sure made me realize that as much as I told myself that I didn't take for granted some of the everyday freedoms I enjoy and the conveniences of the American way of life and that it sometimes seems like a personal attack on one of us when things don't go exactly right...I was doing exactly that. I was taking it for granted. I took it for granted when others who had really paid the price for my ability to moan and complain (even if it was just to myself)...let alone a few minutes delay to me so that those HEROES could go home to their loved ones.
I attempted to get my selfish outlook back in order and minutes before we landed I suggested to the attendant she announced over the speaker a request for everyone to remain in their seats until our heroes were allowed to gather their things and be first off the plane. The cheers and applause continued until the last Marine stepped off and we all rose to go about our too often taken for granted everyday freedoms....
I felt proud of them. I felt it an honor and a privilege to be among the first to welcome them home and say "Thank You" for a job well done.
I vowed that I will never forget that flight nor the lesson learned. I have said it before but I can't say it enough, THANK YOU to those VETERANS and ACTIVE DUTY SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN who may read this, and a prayer everyday for those who cannot because they are no longer with us. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR WARRIORS IN HARM'S WAY!!!!