Tom Reber
Pat Smith
Ben, This may be too long for the Mail Call but is well worth the read. See
you and Fran in Kissimmie. Pat
Bob Dalyrmple
Hi Ben, I did'nt know anything about the Muligan Guards, but it
sure
sonds like fun . Now, re your comment recently about not
putting
anything inmail call unless given permission by the originator
, you
have my OK to print my remarks recently about Boom Boom Alicik if
yo
deem it of general interest. Bob Dalrymple- Great Work, you and son
Bob
Tom Cross
Ben:
Thought you might find this of
interest for several reasons. First, it gives a reasonable account of a small
unit action that took place on D-Day in OPERATION DRAGOON and secondly, it gives
pause to wonder about our administrative and decision making that took place
concerning combat awards when operating on our own and later when assigned to
the 13th Airborne Division at the close of WW
II.
We did not, in my opinion, get a
fair shake from the 13th Airborne Division when it come to granting combat
awards to the 517th Parachute Infantry Regimental Combat Team. When the 517th
PRCT was assigned to the 13th Airborne Division the 596th Parachute Combat
Engineer Company was detached from the 517th PRCT as was the 460th Parachute
Artillery Battalion. They were then assigned to their respective 13th Airborne
Division senior organizations and we became the 517th Parachute Infantry
Regiment once again.
Even before this
occurred we were noted for our indifferent administration. We had always placed
our emphasis on combat training and operations. To make matters even worse we
were constantly either attached to or placed under operational control of many
different combat Infantry and Armored Divisions. We were lucky to
keep our heads above water so to speak. Combat awards received little or no
priority until we managed to get relieved for short periods of
time.
When we joined the 13th Airborne
Division we tried to make up for these past problems. Little did we know at the
time of our assignment to the 13th that the difference between being in combat
and not being in combat would have an
adverse action on our attempt to reward
our people for deserving combat related awards. What we thought to be deserving
for a combat decoration was often denied with the official notation that the
individual involved was merely doing his duty. If any recognition was given it
would often be for a lower award. Yes, we could have done better
administratively; They, could have more fair and
understanding.
At this point I need to make a personal
observation. While at Joigny I was recommended for a Silver Star for actions and
service rendered in OPERATION DRAGOON. It was reduced by the 13th with a
notation that "this officer was merely doing what was expected of a person of
his rank". When Paratroopers' Odyssey was first published I noted that I
was mistakenly given credit for a Silver Star. It was then too late to change
the error as the book had already been published. I am chagrined to learn that
the old mistake was unwittingly carried over to our new 517th PRCT Website.
Please delete it if you will.
`
This whole thing brings to mind other
actions for award upgrades that have appeared on our 517 PRCT Website. I wish we
could right all the errors and wrongs that were made because of the problems
previously mentioned earlier in this correspondence. Yet, I would not change the
emphasis and time we put on combat training and operations. I do wish, in
retrospect, that we had served our people better in spite of the odds placed
against us. I could go on and on for each separate unit in the 517th PRCT
that had men who should have received better recognition.
We did some good things too that still
stand out in our minds and these were things that were strictly 517th PRCT
characteristics, like: The policy of promoting from within. Colonel Graves
preferred to make commissioned combat appointments from within the 517th ranks
of NCO's rather than have officer replacements from other sources. Also, he had
the policy that if you were wounded, injured, or taken sick or whatever, and you
had to be hospitalized for lengthy periods that, if you wished to return
to the 517th then you would be accepted without loss of rank and this extended
to coming back to the same or near same position when and if possible. We were a
very close outfit even though we often shot ourselves in the foot
administratively.
Thanks to you and Bob
we have this wonderful Website to unite us in brotherly spirit and togetherness
just like the old days. I have covered quite a bit of territory in this e-mail
message. There is still more to say of our past history and achievements. I
believe we can do this primarily through this Website as well as through other
means which we can discuss while at the coming Florida Mini
Reunion.
This was written to you and Bob
to ask you and to explain to you why the Silver Star listing assigned to me
should, in my opinion, be removed from the Website at this time. I also desired
to give you some background on what occurred. I trust your judgment as to
whether you see this message as a personal outpouring of my feelings and/or
something that may be appropriate for Website publication. Although this is
rather personal I have no apprehension concerning your decision.
Regards,
Tom
******************
Most any information that Tom Cross writes about is appropriate for the
website. Where else will future historians that may want to write about the 517
going to find this kind of information? We will add it to
"Recollections" on the website.-Ben
-----------------Forwarded Message:
Wayne:
Here is the
info needed to make an initial contact at USAMHI. The following name and address
is taken from a letter I received from Dennis J. VetocK, Assistant Director for
Collection Management at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center at 22
Ashburn Drive, Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, PA 17013-5008.
His telephone
number is 717-245-4139 and his E-mail address is: Dennis.Vetock @
carlisle.army.mil.
My contact with him
was the result of an initial contact with Dr. Richard Sommers, Ph.D., after I
told Dr. Sommers that I had a Civil War diary and an interesting author's copy a
book entitled the Berlin Wall. Dr. Sommers must have turned the project
over to Vetock as it was more in his line of responsibility. Here is Dr.
Sommers' telephone number and address: Dr. Richard Sommers, Telephone Number
717-245-3601 and U.S. Army Military Historical Institute, Carlisle
Barracks,
Carlisle Pa 17013-5008.
What you are seeking is a copy of a Headquarters 13th Airborne Division, General
Order awarding me a Bronze Star Medal with a V for valor device that was awarded
in the Spring of 1945 at Auxerre (Spelling?) France. It concerned my action in
assembling a scattered Company plus sized group of men from the 2nd Battalion
517 PIR and joining up with Dick Seitz with the rest of the Battalion less Co.
F. I had a broken ankle and it was difficult to move much less keep up with the
group after I joined Dick Seitz. I led my group (out front) until I met up with
Seitz and then it was difficult for me because my leg was hurting badly.
Whenever enemy MG 42 fire held us up for awhile I always managed to hobble up to
the front of the column while under fire so when we started out again I could
drift to the rear of the column until the next incident and the repeat the
process. I was determined to stay with the group and did until we got to our
objective and then I had to sit down and found out I could not get up and it was
at this point that Dick gave me a direct order to quit and get a medic to take
care of me and others and to establish a temporary aid station. Later in the
afternoon and after the 551st Infantry Parachute Battalion had jumped and the
CG4A Gliders and brought in the few jeeps we had assigned to us in to the
Regimental CP Colonel Graves dispatched his jeep to where I was in the Temporary
Aid Station with orders to pick me up and take me to the Regimental CP at the
Chateau St. Rosseline. Upon my arrival he told me he wanted me to take over the
combined duties of the Regimental Executive Officer, Lt. Col. Ike Walton, and
the Adjutant, Captain Robert Pearce, until I could be medically evacuated later
on to the beach head area fro transport to a Hospital Ship that had arrived with
the Invasion Fleet.
To make things a
little more interesting Colonel Graves briefed me on the situation as he knew it
at the time and then told me he was taking Major Forest Paxton our Regimental
S-3 with him out on a personal recon to attempt to contact some of our other
scattered paratroopers that he had been in part time radio contact with. He told
me I was in charge until he came back. He was gone over 4 hours or more and
returned after dark. Meantime We had a report the enemy was moving towards our
CP. We had minimum protection from our own sources but we had over a100 "wild
ass" Glider Pilots out around the CP as additional protection.
they would
fire at anything that moved so I felt we were secured to that extent. I worried
about Col. Graves and Major Paxton getting thru this gang of Glider Pilots
without getting their butts shot off but they did manage. Throughout this period
I refused to take anything to ease the pain in my leg for fear of nodding off
when Graves and Paxton were gone. When we finally got things fairly well settled
down after their return they announced they were going to get some shut eye and
for me to hold the fort awhile longer. It was just as well as I could not sleep
anyway.
Later the next day Lt. Col. Mel Zais reported in with most of his 3rd
Battalion which improved matters considerably. I was released for evacuation on
the second day and really hated to leave but had no choice in the matter for
they had not taken off my jump boot on the bad leg. They loosened the boot
strings to allow circulation which helped in place of a splint and it actually
helped the recovery process later on. That is the story.
The part you just read about being
evacuated to the CP was never introduced in the award process but will be if I
resubmit for upgrading the award. Dick Seitz agrees so now we just have to find
the General Order concerned.
Good luck,
Dad
