Hello,
 
Bob has added more pages from the Paratroopers' Odyssey as well as a short history of the 517th from the 13th Airborne History book on our website.  This book has several good photos including an excellent one of Lt. John Alicki.
 
Ben
Website                www.517prct.org
 
Mail Call                Ben517@aol.com
 
Roster                   www.517prct.org/roster.pdf

Annual Florida Snowbird Mini-Reunion 2004
January 18-22, 2004
Kissimmee, FL
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, AND GOD BLESS.
Boom Boom Alicki

Check it out: http://www.riversongs.com/Fla/newyrs.html
Claire Giblin
 
Ben - please forward to Lou Darden -

ACK!!!  How can they have a reunion without the OK contingent???!!!

Lou, best wishes for a speedy recovery.  Hope to see you in '05 down in
Kissimmee.  I would say that I hope your holidays were wonderful, but it is
looking like you could have had better news than this.  And if Jesse gets out
of line, just whack him with your cane.  :-)

Love to you and Jesse -

Claire Giblin, Jim Giblin, and Allan Johnson

Jim just loved last year's reunion.  His best line, while leaving Epcot one
night, was "Yup - I'm ready to go back to the hospitality suite for a
Heinekin and a few war stories."  The troopers were always ready to oblige on
both counts.
Gail Tayler
 
Hi Ben, thanks for an immediate response!  Don't I wish I could come to the reunion in Kissimmee, but can't.
Noted on your website under The History of the 517th PIR, Daddy's first name misspelled.  Should be Louis not Lewis.  Not that i'm picky!
Thanks for all you do, and again, have a Happy New Year!
Gail W. Tayler
                                               ***********
Gail Tayler Walsh is referring to the HIstory of the 517th PIR  taken from the 13th Airborne book which we just recently put on the website. Colonel Walsh's first name was mispelled in the book when published many years ago. We will correct the spelling on our site.-Ben
 
Merle McMorrow
 
Dear Ben:

IWe hope you and Fran had a wonderful Christmas and may the New Year bring happiness and good health.

I see you carried Gen. Mc Auliffe's Christmas Eve message to the troops in one of your e-mails.  I still have the copy of the message sent out.  I also see a copy of it on a wall in the local mall along with other documents such as Gettsburg Address, VE Day Surrender, etc
                                      Merle & Mardy
                                                       **********
Merle was at Bastogne at that time.-Ben
 
June Huffman
 
I enjoy and appreciate geting the 517 news..thank you so much for all
you two do for "our"Association.                                   HAPPY
NEW YEAR TO ALL!!                             June
                                                       ************
June's husband Monk did the map drawings for the Paratroopers' Odyssey.-Ben
Boom Boom Alicki
 
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: Score Card 55 Most Wanted/Iraq

Bet you won't read or hear this from the news media......        www.centcom.mil/Operations/Iraqi_Freedom/55mostwanted.htm
 
Leo Dean
 
Hi Ben.  Leo Dean here.  I had a phone call from John Knopf in Arizona.  He said that his daughter now has a new computer and would like to be put back on the MAIL CALL list.  Her number is  snotnose@earthlink.net.   Also, my niece called me and said that at a recent party one of her friends said that his Uncle was in the 5l7th during the war.  He is now deceased.  His name was ABE SPECTOR.  Do  any of the records show what unit he was with?   I've signed up for the mini in Florida.  I'll go a day ahead of time because Ive signed up for a skydive on Sunday at the Deland  airfield.  
 
Happy New Year to all..