Our card list seems to be getting smaller every year, our friends and loved ones are no longer with us. That tells me that we are getting old and our get up and go has got up and went.Thanksgiving is in the past and Christmas and New Year is just a few days away. It's now time for Arlene and me to send Holiday greeting to our 517th family and friends.
We've had a good year, even tho I'm now 86 years old. I had Cataract Surgery on my birthday and the world looks much brighter now. I'm pleased with my sight improvement.
I was in the Army for five years and missed being home for Christmas four times. I can feel for our Service Men and Women being away from home on Christmas. My prayers are that the World will know peace someday and there will be no need for an Army.
The Christmas of 1944 is the most remembered and the one I wish I could forget.
Arlene and I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
My God Bless each of you
Cecil Doty
Gail Walsh Tayler
Hi Ben, re yours of today, MAIL CALL #592; have been forwarding to Mary
Ann Turner, if this will help.
Thanks for all you do for us,
Gail W.
Ann Turner, if this will help.
Thanks for all you do for us,
Gail W.
Walt and Marie Rommel
Ben-Please start sending Mailcall again. I sure miss it. We are all moved and partly settled in. We still have a ways to go. Our new email address is wmrom@comcast.net. and our new home is in North Ridgeville, Ohio.
Is there any way to catch up on back copies? I believe the last Mailcall we received was about November 14th.
Moving is for the young-of this I am convienced. We had 50 years of stuff to get rid of. It all fit neatly in our home in Rockford, but we downsized to a Condo and the rest we wont miss anyway. I hope.
Walt and Marie Rommel
Darrell Egner and Tom Reber sent in this message
Michael J. "Boots" Miller
>
> Colonel, USAF
>
> AETC Director of Staff
>
> One Team, One Fight, One Victory!
>
>
> Amazing, first-hand report of the President's visit with the troops on
> Thanksgiving Day.
>
> An Email from a Captain in Iraq
>
> We knew there was a dinner planned with ambassador Bremer and LTG
Sanchez.
> There were 600 seats available and all the units in the division were
> tasked with filling a few tables. Naturally, the 501st MI battalion got
our
> table. Soldiers were grumbling about having to sit through another
> dog-and-pony show, so we had to pick soldiers to attend.
> I chose not to go.
>
> But, about 1500 the G2, LTC Devan, came up to me and with a smile, asked
me
> to come to dinner with him, to meet him in his office at 1600 and bring a
> camera. I didn't really care about getting a picture with Sanchez or
Bremer,
> but when the division's senior intelligence officer asks you to go, you
go.
> We were seated in the chow hall, fully decorated for thanksgiving when
> aaaaallllll kinds of secret service guys showed up.
>
> That was my first clue, because Bremer's been here before and his
personal
> security detachment is not that big. Then BG Dempsey got up to speak, and
> he welcomed ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. Bremer thanked us all and
> pulled out a piece of paper as if to give a speech. He mentioned that the
> President had given him this thanksgiving speech to give to the troops.
He
> then paused and said that the senior man present should be the one to
give
> it. He then looked at Sanchez, who just smiled.
>
> Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read
the
> speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the
> United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering.
> Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering
> with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I
> was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was
> only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty
feet
> away from me! The cheering went on and on and on.
>
> Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There
was
> not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could
> clearly see tears running down his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment
> I've had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was
this
> man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours
on
> an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where
a
> plane was shot out of the sky not six days before.
>
> Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend
> another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never
> forget it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked
> right at me and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just
> mobbed by the soldiers. He slowly worked his way all the way around the
chow
> hall and shook every last hand extended. Every soldier who wanted a photo
> with the President got one. I made my way through the line, got dinner,
> then wolfed it down as he was still working the room.
>
> You could tell he was really enjoying himself. It wasn't just a photo
> opportunity. This man was actually enjoying himself! He worked his way
over
> the course of about 90 minutes towards my side of the room. Meanwhile, I
> took the opportunity to shake a few hands. I got a picture with
Ambassador
> Bremer, Talabani (acting Iraqi president) and Achmed Chalabi (another
> member of the ruling council) and Condaleeza Rice, who was there with him.
>
> I felt like I was drunk. He was getting closer to my table so I went back
> over to my seat. As he passed and posed for photos, he looked my in the
eye
> and "How you doin', captain." I smiled and said "God bless you, sir." To
> which he responded "I'm proud of what you do, captain." Then moved on.
>
>
> Colonel, USAF
>
> AETC Director of Staff
>
> One Team, One Fight, One Victory!
>
>
> Amazing, first-hand report of the President's visit with the troops on
> Thanksgiving Day.
>
> An Email from a Captain in Iraq
>
> We knew there was a dinner planned with ambassador Bremer and LTG
Sanchez.
> There were 600 seats available and all the units in the division were
> tasked with filling a few tables. Naturally, the 501st MI battalion got
our
> table. Soldiers were grumbling about having to sit through another
> dog-and-pony show, so we had to pick soldiers to attend.
> I chose not to go.
>
> But, about 1500 the G2, LTC Devan, came up to me and with a smile, asked
me
> to come to dinner with him, to meet him in his office at 1600 and bring a
> camera. I didn't really care about getting a picture with Sanchez or
Bremer,
> but when the division's senior intelligence officer asks you to go, you
go.
> We were seated in the chow hall, fully decorated for thanksgiving when
> aaaaallllll kinds of secret service guys showed up.
>
> That was my first clue, because Bremer's been here before and his
personal
> security detachment is not that big. Then BG Dempsey got up to speak, and
> he welcomed ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. Bremer thanked us all and
> pulled out a piece of paper as if to give a speech. He mentioned that the
> President had given him this thanksgiving speech to give to the troops.
He
> then paused and said that the senior man present should be the one to
give
> it. He then looked at Sanchez, who just smiled.
>
> Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read
the
> speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the
> United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering.
> Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering
> with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I
> was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was
> only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty
feet
> away from me! The cheering went on and on and on.
>
> Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There
was
> not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could
> clearly see tears running down his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment
> I've had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was
this
> man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours
on
> an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where
a
> plane was shot out of the sky not six days before.
>
> Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend
> another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never
> forget it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked
> right at me and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just
> mobbed by the soldiers. He slowly worked his way all the way around the
chow
> hall and shook every last hand extended. Every soldier who wanted a photo
> with the President got one. I made my way through the line, got dinner,
> then wolfed it down as he was still working the room.
>
> You could tell he was really enjoying himself. It wasn't just a photo
> opportunity. This man was actually enjoying himself! He worked his way
over
> the course of about 90 minutes towards my side of the room. Meanwhile, I
> took the opportunity to shake a few hands. I got a picture with
Ambassador
> Bremer, Talabani (acting Iraqi president) and Achmed Chalabi (another
> member of the ruling council) and Condaleeza Rice, who was there with him.
>
> I felt like I was drunk. He was getting closer to my table so I went back
> over to my seat. As he passed and posed for photos, he looked my in the
eye
> and "How you doin', captain." I smiled and said "God bless you, sir." To
> which he responded "I'm proud of what you do, captain." Then moved on.
>