Hello,
 
At this date in 1944 the 517 was on the move up the length of France about a 500 mile trip in 40-and 8 boxcars  ( 9"40 hommes----8 chevaux" )
 
Ben
 
Website               www.517prct.org
 
Mail Call               Ben517@aol.com
 
Roster                 WWW.517prct.org/roster.pdf
 
Parachute Screen Saver  Click on. Be patient
John Caylor
 
Dear Ben, I finally got the internet back. I wanted to say thanks for the letter you sent me. Seems like I don't have enough time in the day to keep up. I wish dad was still alive to have read it. If you come up with any photographs with him in them mom and I both would like a copy. We have one with him in it. I found a little notebook he had written some information in. I wanted to include this info. because it might mean something to someone. I will start from the first of his scribble. John Dewey Caylor, my outfit was 517th parachute inf.reg. 3rd battalion, G company, serial#34-72-1801. 3rd platoon (mortar squad). Company commander was Lt. Mckillap, platoon sgt.?, squad leader sgt. Nicholes. Machine gun squad was Bell and Buck, both killed by snipers infiltrated behind lines, taking water to either 1st or 2nd platoon who were attempting to take Col de Bra, near Nice? 3rd platoon was in reserve, 5 to 6 Germans were killed, 1 taken prisoner but killed before interrogation. Birch was also in Bell and Buck's squad. Nichols was wounded later and I took over squad leader position and got field rank as sgt. We had 60mm. mortars from all three companies under my command. Dad then starts writing names; Ben L. Combest (always first name he would mention), Farnham (killed), West-came as a new replacement, Vininovich - probably the same guy you called Wengryzinovicz., Marchese, Hewlitt, Birch, Florez (Mexican).  Lt. Ridles or Riddles  was 2nd platoon commander, he had a sister to mail me chewing tobacco, was later killed while I was in the hospital near the town of Calea? departed on hosp. boat from Marseilles, France. Then he wrote two more names Ingram and Jarman. Dad did not talk a lot about the war but talked about Combest And Buck the most. I feel they must have gotten alone better than most. From my memory he told me about trying to hit a German on a motorcycle with a mortar round for several mornings on a curvy road. He said they only had one spot to see him coming. He chuckled and said that they split the mortar tube trying. He was going to get another and caught a ride in a jeep. It was hit in the left front wheel with a German mortar or something he said. It killed all but him which is why he was in the hospital. Well I better go, I am a one finger typer so this took longer than it should have. BEST REGARDS AND UTMOST RESPECT FOR ALL VETERANS ESPECIALLY THE 517th     JOHN Derek Caylor     e-mail address is now caylorj@bellsouth.net    all lower case   Thanks again    

Howard Hensleigh

Note to John Derek Caylor, son of John Dewey Caylor, the G Company 60 mm mortarman. Your letter written on Pearl Harbor Day made my day. Every once in a while a person gets something that hits him in the gut. Your letter about your Dad and those guys from G Company is something I will treasure. I was with the 3rd Platoon of G Company from mid November until early February when we went on Tennessee maneuvers. In the space of a lifetime, that isn/t very long. In that short time your Father made an impression that has lasted all these years. When we left Mackall for overseas shipment, I had the 3rd Bn. mortarmen for an afternoon with dummy rounds on the parade ground. As we left the field one of the men, which might have been your Father, had one shell left and asked to fire a parting shot. He put one right in the middle of the exercise stand turning it into a pile of kindling.

    Your Father was one of those gutsy guys that made the 517th the splendid outfit we all honor and remember today. Unfortunately, I lost track of your Father during those heated times. Your letter gave me the details of how he was hit and got back to the States. It is typical of your Father to be going to replace his mortar tube. He could never be without that. His buddy, Ben Combest, is still with us at 4 South 28th Street, Duncan, OK 73533. Ben has a son who would like to get in touch with you.

Thank you for sharing your Dad’s notes with us and thank Bob and Ben Barrett for making communications like this possible.

Howard Hensleigh

John Alicki


http://countrywhispers.com/tree/

John Davis

Ben my father in-laws name is Olen A. Hughes, He said he was right in the damn middle of it (Manhay). Got a radio blown off his back. He said I company was in the open. He said best he could recall H company was in the trees taking heavy fire also. Any info on I co. would be much appreciated. Ben thank for writing me back, I am just trying to find him all info I can about I company.
 
                                             Thank You.
 
                                             John Davis
                                          ********
John send a us a mailing address if your father wishes to receive The Thunderbolt, the 517newspaper.-Ben

Entry of Dec 05, 2003 at 23:35 [EST]
Name: Arlo Mildenstein
Unit: A company 517 PRCT
EMail: amildens@cadvantage.com
How I found the 517th page: Link from another web page
Comments: As Adj. of the local DAV Chapter I was reporting the passing away of one of our members to the National DAV. I decided to see if there was any thing new there. When I hit links I hit pay dirt when I found your site.