Good time for members in the Northeast to go to Kissimmee reunion this Sunday. It has to be sixty five degrees warmer down there. There is a time when it was cold in Belgium, but then we were sixty years younger.

Mail Call Ben517@aol.com

Mail Call Archives 517prct.org/archives

Ben:
       Howard Hensleigh's remarks concerning the Harvard educated author from the 506 PIR who was lost to sharks and never seen again was David Kenyon Webster. He was a member of Co. E, 506 PIR. His book entitled Parachute Infantry, with an introduction by Stephen E. Ambrose is a "must" for anyone desiring to get a real feel for what went on in a Parachute Rifle Company that started out in Camp Toccoa and went all the way through WW II.
       For anyone that is interested the book was published by and copyrighted and published by the Louisiana State University Press in 1994. A paperback edition was published in 1997.
       Substitute Co. E, 517 PIR for Co. E, 506 PIR and you will find a similarity of incidents and emotions that run throughout the book. It would really just about apply to any of the Rifle Companies in the 517 PIR.
       I really recommend this book for a real feel and remembrance of what we went through in WW II. I will bring my copy of this book to the Florida Mini Reunion, unless I have a senior moment and forget.
See you at the Mini.
Regards, Tom

Chronical on Website December-January 1944-45

Ben,
   To solve the mystery about my Dad's statement. When he was sending
his first of hopefully many Mail calls, it was just the first thing he
recalled. Later, after the Mail call was sent, he did make the statement
that he was pretty sure that the only other person who might have known
what it meant would have been Lt. Reber. I hope that at the reunion he
does explain what it means, because I would also like to know the story
behind the saying.
   Tom is almost correct. My Dad has only attended one other reunion and
that was at least 25 or 30 years ago.   When it comes to WW II and Korea
he is a very private man. No one has ever been able to get him to talk
about any of his war experiences, except stories about "Col. Graves and his
3000 thieves". I think talking about anything else just brings back
memories that hurt. In fact, they must hurt so much that he has stayed
away from the 517th reunions, but definitely not kept the 517th out of his
heart.   He is extremely proud to be a member of the 517th and we, his
family, are extremely proud of him as well as all of you. I will say that
he wants to come to this years reunion, so it must be time for him to share
his experiences with his fellow 517 heroes. At least we, all of his family,
hope so, because all of us will be at this reunion.
   I do receive Mail Call and faithfully read every one of them and enjoy
every one of them. But, like my Dad, I am also a very private person and
enjoy learning from observing, reading and listening, and not being
observed, writing or talking.

   A very proud daughter of the 517th
member Silas Don Brown,
   Donna Hilliard

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Dave,

There is probably lots of information that we could give you about Albert Caraciolo's unit - Company C of the 517th PRCT. There are still quite a few living members of that unit.

I don't know if you are actively looking for additional info, or just want reference material as already available. So let me suggest as a first step, that anyone wanting to do research might start with the historical records available on our website at: http:/517prct.org. There are several histories of the Regiment available. I have found no specific mentions of Cpl. Caraciolo yet, but we do have a fairly complete histories of the actions of the 1st Battalion, and Company C, including a record of Company C,and a day-by-day chronicle of that time period. Note that there were 157 casualties in the 517th's 1st Battalion between 22 and 26 Dec 1944.

I do see Albert's name listed with C Company in the Dec 1944 Christmas roster. Unfortunately, I do not see him listed specifically in the casualty reports. But as our historian keeps reminding me ; "It was wartime". The records are not complete.

I hope this helps anyone doing research. If anyone wants to ask more specifically about Cpl. Caraciolo, let me know.

Bob Barrett

webmaster@517prct.org