Ben:
       I note that you included my comments about combat awards in the above referenced Subject heading. Also noticed a lot of TC mistakes in composition and left out/missing facts and/or explanations. This an attempt to rectify same.
       The reason Colonel Graves asked me to temporarily take over Lt. Col. Ike Walton's job as Regimental Executive Officer and Capt. Bob Pearce's position as Regimental S-1 was because they were badly injured during the Parachute Landing Phase of OPERATION DRAGOON. Their injuries were so severe that they could not perform any duty function and in fact I do not believe they even made it as far as the Regimental CP and Aid Station at the Chateau Roseline.
       I later met up with Ike Walton and Bob Pearce at the same 45th General Hospital in Naples, Italy. We shared a four patient hospital ward together in the Orthopedic Section of the Hospital. The other two patients consisted of our 517th PRCT Chaplain, Captain Charles Brown and a Glider Pilot that was in a full body cast because of a severe crash landing on one of the Glider Landing Zones in the DRAGOON Objective Area. Both Walton and Pearce were later evacuated to the ZI and thus did not rejoin the 517th PRCT.
       During the time I was in the 45th General Hospital I had a daily visitor by the name of PFC Earl Manigilo of Co. E, 517th PRCT. Earl was a patient in the 118th \Station Hospital also located in Naples. The 118th Station Hospital received most of the Airborne casualties from OPERATION DRAGOON. I believe the reason Walton, Pearce, Brown and Cross ended up in the 45th General Hospital was because it specialized in severe orthopedic cases. Earl Mangilo was discharged from his Hospital at the same time I was discharged from mine and we went back to the 517th together which by this time was in the vicinity of Sospel, France.
       Earl and I were destined to meet again after the Ardennes Battle where I again became a casualty and was medically evacuated all the way to the UK. Upon my return to the 517th PRCT which was at Joigny, France by this time I met up with Earl again under interesting circumstances. I had returned to the 517th under a Limited Duty Status which was the only way I could escape from being  classified as not fit for combat duty and shipped back to the ZI or to Com Z.
       Colonel Graves created the position of Assistant Regimental Executive Officer for me until I achieved a Fit for Duty Status and later took over the 3rd Bn. from Forest Paxton. During this period, which lasted until we deactivated, Capt. Bob Newberry, C.O. of Co.E placed Earl Mangilo on Special Duty and assigned to me as an Assistant. An Assistant "what" was never determined nor did Bob Newberry really care for Earl had become a thorn in Bob's side. Earl was always getting into trouble for he was small in size yet strong and aggressive to the point he was constant Article 15 material. Apparently I was the key to Bob's problem. Colonel Graves' OK'd this arrangement and Earl followed me to the 3rd Bn. When Dick Seitz got married in Joigny to his old friend Betty Merrill I thought I had lost Earl to Dick for good but that was not to be. At the conclusion of the wedding Dick and Bride left the area in the Bride's Convertible Opel convertible coupe with Earl hanging on the rear spare tire. Needless to say he did not accompany the Bride and Groom for any great distance and was finally deposited along the side of  the road to later make his way home for another Article 15. Earl was a great and loyal friend and I missed him when he left the 517th . I later learned that he was killed in a tragic accident in his home town. I remember him well. Have finally got to the end of this tale.
Regards, Tom

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tom Stadler

John Bramswig

Thank you Bob Barrett for the War KIA stats.  I believe that 80,000 KIA were added to the WWII stat making it closer to 400,000 KIA.  The 80,000 were listed MIA at first.

John Bramswig
son in law of Ed Marconi Co A

Entry of Jan 11, 2004 at 18:45 [EST]
Name: silas don brown
Unit: To start my career, the 517th
EMail: symar@bellsoith.net
How I found the 517th page: unknown
Comments: member 517th 3rd battalion hq. robert reber's platoon How tall is yours? A Reber statement between him and me. Will see you on the 17th.

Tom Reber