Reference Mail Call 533 and the request by Mike Kane, Jr for information on his dad Mike Kane, D Company. I remember Mike Kane, one of the fine troopers of D Company , 2nd Battalion, 517th. I don't remember the circumstances of Mikes being wounded, but remember D Companys action on 23 January when the 2nd battalion during the Bludge was attached to the 7th Armored Division. On that day D Company and E Company were the lead units of the battalion in the attack to capture Auf de Hardt Woods the dominating terran feature controling all avenues of approach t St Vith, a very important objective. The attack was launched early in the morning about 3 hours before daylight. The weather was bitter cold, heavy snow, in some places it was up to the troopers waist and in general above the knees. The heavy falling snow helped to conceal the attack. Just at the light of day, about 8 A M D an E companies surprised the German out post and captured the many enemy.The two companies continued the attact aganist stiff resistance by the main German force. The Germans had been in the area for sometime and constructed lots of bunkers which later in the day gave the two companies considerable trouble. The Germans fought stubbornly and D Company had a good fight in cleaning the enemy out od their area. By 10 o.clock the two companies had completed their mission , killing, wounding and caturing a large number of the enemy while sustaining few casualties. The capture of Auf de Hardt Woods was very important to the success of the 7 th Armored Divisions operations. ____________________________________________________________ Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO. 535 517TH PRCT--August 29, 2003 Date: 8/30/2003 12:10:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: artann3447@juno.com To: Ben517@aol.com
To J.Michael and Eric, I plan a trip back to your area next year, can you give me anything on Seillans France, They were trying to sell the restaurant and motel and Taveren when I was there several years ago, Is it under new management maybe torn down?????? Of coarse, if my health holds up, currently I am haveing sever pain in my legs, But we are trying to solve that problem. So guys drop me a line when you find out anything, I shall rent a car in Les Arcs after arriveing on the super train from Paris. Tom McAvoy
____________________________________________________________________________ Subj: Re: MAIL CALL NO. 533 517TH PRCT--August 27, 2003 Date: 8/30/2003 12:45:53 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: coonas@webtv.net ( June Huffman )
Hello Ben, I always enjoy reading your e-mails, but many times I cannot read them because they come through with the print so faint I cannot make them out. The only one that was legible was the one with the large print, in todays mail. Many times the print is light blue or orchid on the black background. Yours are the only ones that come through that way. Am I doing something wrong? I have been in touch with many of our 517 Gang since Oklahoma City, and am looking forward to our next get-together. I am anxious to hear about Mildred Christi. Do hope she is improving. Have you had further word on her condition? Thanks for all that you are doing! ++++++++++ Anyone else have this problem?You should be able to program the print color and background color on your computer.-Ben ___________________________________________________________________________ Subj: Your website Date: 8/30/2003 1:36:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: dinnylee@koalas.com
Dear Ben: re: Tom Reber's remarks in mail call #534. I do want to thank you for your great website. If it weren't for the website I wouldn't have been able to find out anything about my husband's military history. His name was Andy Jorgen, lst. Lt. in E-Company. He wouldn't talk much about the war so I hardly knew anything. Because of your website and subsequent messages, etc. to various men I was able to write my book about his military history. Ben, and all of you, Thank you so much.
Virginia Jorgen ___________________________________________________________________________ Subj: Re: Guestbook entry Date: 8/30/2003 8:22:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: dantree@msn.com ( Dan Stubbs ) To: Ben517@aol.com
Hi Ben,
Thanks for the note. You are correct Orville was born in West Virginia in the 20's but you never know could be a relative. Keep up the great work. He has recently moved closer to me so I do share some of the mail call with him.
Thanks Again, _______________________________________________________________________ Subj: 517th Parachute Regiment Date: 8/30/2003 2:16:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time From: JBJB93 To: abnvaquero@yahoo.com, craigmaggieinoro@msn.com, Ben517
Hello Mr Baird,
Saw your email and wanted to welcome your daughter Maggie. One day you gotta tell that story again of my father in law Ed Marconi (deceased). I know he was wounded and fought hard in WWII - He is a hero like you and the rest. But that story of him getting caught and put under gaurd in Berlin is fantastic because Ed was a street smart kid from hard New York Brooklyn neighborhood. It was just like him to get caught up in the gray market of post WWII. I miss him dearly but know somehow Ben gets some emails to him every now and a then.
Ben I've attached a jpeg of Ed -can you show again? Also want you GI's to know my dad William Bramswig was combat staff sgt with 87th Golden Acorn Division. Was in Battle of the Bulge, Broke through the Siegfried line, crossed the Moeselle and Rhine Rivers and made it to the edge of Czech border in April '45 - Never Got A Scratch - 134 days on the line - amazing.
