Hello,

59 years ago today was the last day in combat for the 517. The RCT

had 1,500 casualties. 1,400 were in the 517th Regiment---70% of its original authorized strength.

The mail below from Clark Archer to Tom Cross gives Illustrates as to the roughness of the Battle of The Bulge

Ben

Website www.517prct.org

Mail Call Ben517@aol.com

Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives

Roster www.517prct.org/roster.pdf

2004 West Coast Party
April 19-22, 2004
Palm Springs, CA

Lory Curtis,

Thanks to all who have responded to my father’s questions and statements about

the challenge and password. He has enjoyed reading your emails and it has made him dig deep back into his memory about those most important day in the 517^th PRCT. Thanks for keeping him active in remembering these great events.

Lory V. Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1^st BN

Ben,

I am sure this question has been asked before, and I apologize for asking, but in the Winter issue of the Thunderbolt on page 23 it lists the unit’s decorations. Do you or anyone else know how a person can get an actual medal of the French Croix de Guerre?

Thanks

Lory Curtis

As a descendant of a 517^th trooper (Bud Curtis), I just want to publicly thank Bob Barrett, Wayne Cross, and Tom Reber for what they have done, and what the continue to do for this association. I enjoy reading email everyday which has created a great bond between me and my father. Thanks so much for all you do. If I can help in anyway please let me know.

Lory Curtis

Tassie Gomez

I'm interested in anyone who might remember a partooper in the 517C Co. by the name of P.J. Gomez. He was my father in law. He trained at Camp Toccoa. If

anyone remembers him please e-mail me a tcgomez@alltel.net.

Thanks so Much'

Tassie Gomez

***********

Pantalion J. Gomez was in C Co. and is on our 1944 Christmas roster.-Ben

June Huffman

Hello Ben.   I read the letter asking for information on the incident
where occurred in Belgium. I will pull the letter up again for details
of who asked about this, but that was when Archie Brown was killed, and
Frank "monk" Huffman was injured.    I have all of this information
because I recently received the Purple Heart for Frank's injury at that
time. I have documented letters and statements about this action.   As
I was informed, it was a shell that hit just outside the entrance of the
building as Archie was carrying out artillery shells. Frank was
directly behind him and we have been anxious to know who else was hit at
that time.   If I am not mistaken, Tom Cross was also it at this time.
(Maybe the first day he was back on duty from a previous injury)
Sorry I had to miss the Mini in Florida!   I had made all the
arrangements.. Thanks for
keeping us all in touch!    June Huffman

Bob Jackson

My E-mail address is: r3402@aol.com I would like to hear from youall.

Bob Jackson

Hello, My address is 1351 Robinwood Road

Apt.B-303

Gastonia, NC 28054

I joined the regiment at Joigny and was asigned to Company I. After we returned from Lille, a dance band was formed and I was transferred to service company, playing trombone. Chuck Hansen was the leader. Then of course, back to the USA and the 82nd at Fort Bragg and was discharged.

Bob Jackson

June Huffman

Thanks so much for the pictures of the Mini! I enjoyed seeing
everyone..thanks to the photographer. Great job!
Keep up the good work! June

Bob Barrett

I ran across a book the other day at the bookstore that I had not seen before, that has several references to the 517th: "The Deadly Botherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II", by John McManus. The hardcover edition has been out for several years, but the paperback came out in August 2003. (Following all the renewed interest in WW2 history.)

The book is based on first-hand accounts of soldiers and their conditions and motivations, both good and bad. It got my attention because one of his sources of info are the recollections of Howard Ruppel of the 517th F Company, which we have under "Soldier's Stories".

Inside Flap Copy:
In his book Men Against Fire, [historian S. L. A.] Marshall asserted that only 15 to 25 percent of American soldiers ever fired their weapons in combat in World War II. . . .
Shooting at the enemy made a man part of the "team," or "brotherhood." There were, of course, many times when soldiers did not want to shoot, such as at night when they did not want to give away a position or on reconnaissance patrols. But, in the main, no combat soldier in his right mind would have deliberately sought to go through the entire war without ever firing his weapon, because he would have been excluded from the brotherhood but also because it would have been detrimental to his own survival. One of [rifle company commander Harold] Leinbaugh's NCOs summed it up best when discussing Marshall: "Did the SOB think we clubbed the Germans to death?"