Hello,
Several members have sent me email "The Veteran" I have had it in a past Mail Call and will put in in a future Mail Call when I have space for all the photos.
Mail to Tom Priest has been returned "Unknown". Does anyone have information about him ?
Ben
Website---www.517prct.org
Roster---http://517prct.org/documents/roster_roster.pdf
Randolph Coleman F Company
Hi Ben, In your mail fo the 17th, there were some terrific pictures of Hotel du Golf. I recall when we went int Sospel, some us wound up on top of a large building that had a flat top. Below,german soldiers ran with a woman on each arm in an effort to escape, thinking we would not fire for fear of hitting the women. From the picture of the present day hotel the roof slopes; it is not flat. I wonder of anyone recalls whether we were on the roof of the hotel or some other building of that size? Many thanks, Randolph Coleman
We have the Sospel photos on the website.-Ben
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Jim Mortensen 460
Hi Ben
A few tidbits. Yes, Colonel Cato address is correct. His phone number is 727 585 31070. I talked to him some months ago. He seemed well, though bound to a wheel chair. Since I have been heavily involved in the aftermath of the death of my spouse of 57 years, I haven’t reached out much of late.
Phil Kennemer was a good friend way back in those early days when we were both in C Battery of the 460th. To an 18 year-old guy he seemed rather old and I will never forget one morning in Tennessee. Man it was cold. And it had rained all night. I bounced out of the pup tent and noticed that Phil was having one heck of a time getting out of the tent and up on his feet. He complained bitterly about the conditions and didn’t seem to mind as I helped him get to his feet on the very slick rock of the nice little mountain we called home.
I was subsequently transferred to HQ Battery so we lost touch before the jump into France.
I was near our maneuver site last week and, yes, we had a torrential rain. And, JG Ward told me that our maneuvers were in the same area. Welcome home!
And yes, Mortensen is a very Danish name. My father was an immigrant, came through Canada in 1912 and settled in Iowa where he fell in love with the farmer’s daughter and where I was born. But, by the time I was 5 we were all in Wyoming where I grew up.
Best
Jim
Howard Hensleigh
Note to Bill Boyle: We would like you to contact Ray Cato. If he woruld respond to anyone he will to you. He was a big part of the 517th Combat Team. We wish to honor him and keep in touch with him. Thanks, Howard Hensleigh
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Ben,
Do you still do the Mail Call? Somehow if you do I quit recieveing it and I would like you to put me back on your mailing list if you still do it.
keller@dbscorp.net. I miss the Mail Call, it was full of info on WWII. So could you please put me back on the list. I was there because my Uncle Dallas Long told me about it.
Thanks,
Cindy (Gossard) Keller
Tom McAvoy Reg. Hqs
Click the link below. Let it run through, pictures/captions at the end. This is awesome!!
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Entry of Oct 22, 2003 at 18:06 [EST]
Name: John Santiago
Unit:
EMail: jsgraph@hotmail.com How I found the 517th page: From a search engine
Comments: My grandfather, Albert Brandal, served in G Company. He never talked much about the war, except for the occasional joke when asked (he loved to gripe about the Brits stopping for tea in the middle of a march). This website helped me a lot, as I am trying to piece together and understand how he served our country. Thanks for making this site possible.
Thanks! I found him on the roster as well. He was with the 517 from Toccoa until they shipped back home, the Bulge included. He was fortunate not to be injured, but suffered bad knees and hearing the rest of his life. From your site I found out about Astor's book and have been reading to try and retrace his steps, although the "Chronicle" from '85 gives a clearer picture.
Thanks for this terrific resource!
John Santiago
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Walter W Smith = Hq 1st Bn
My dear Ben, the communications rep. for all of us.
Having passed my own 80th bday on this earth, It is amazing to me that you, your son, Bob, other cohorts such as Tom Reber, Bob Christie, Howard Hensleigh, Merle McMorrow, Clark Archer and a host of others in the past and present seem to have boundless energy to continue to pour out the work you do. God bless you and may your decendents inherit the talent and energy you have, and if they do, our legacy will live forever!
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