2004 West Coast Party
April 19-22, 2004
Palm Springs, CA
2004 West Coast Party
April 19-22, 2004
Palm Springs,
CA
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Howard Hensleigh
Ben:
Here is a note to Colette Michel regarding the burial of Lt. Moore of the 460th who was killed on D-Day while rushing a German machine gun nest. I telephoned his brother, Gerald Moore, and learned that Lt. Moore now rests in the cemetery at El Dorado, Kansas. Our soldiers killed in France were buried there during the War. After the War, the family was given the option of having the body returned to the United States for burial in the family plot. Alternatively, the father and mother were given a trip to visit the French cemetery. The Moore family chose to have Lt. Moore’s body brought home. 2nd Lt. Harry F. Moore is listed in the a pamphlet entitled "In Memoriam" published by the 517th Combat Team at the end of our stay in Southern France. He was buried at the cemetery in Southern France first and then sent home after the War was over. Before leaving Southern France, the Combat Team held a ceremony at this cemetery honoring our fallen. I vividly remember the emotion as we saw the colors go forward. Some of us had not seen the flag for quite some time.
Howard Hensleigh
Charles Cook
Good morning Ben- Do you know
the dates of the 517th reunion in Georgia Hal Beddow
for the year 2005? I know it
is early, but I am setting some travel
dates for 2005 and I really don't want
to miss the reunion.
Thank you,
Charles E Cook.
828 Cottonwood
Rd.
Kingsland, Texas 78639
bdrcec@tstar.net
Ben
Here are the dates you requested.
Please keep in mind that I selected these dates mainly because the room rates
are lower since the time frame is when the tourist trade is less than the months
previously. The dates are, registration day AUG. 15, ending date, AUG
19.
Yes, this time of year is during the hottest time of the year
but it is when room rates become lower because of that reason. We found
out that rates are lower between the 1st of July to the 1st of October when the
tourist trade begins to picks up.
Helen and I searched the city as will
as other locations outside the city for the best rates and found some but not
adequate to accommodate all of the reunion activities in one location.
This location is very close to all activities and transportation.
We have
identified one probable tour to include lunch and the other we are in the
process of working with them to reach a meeting of the minds. We hope to
have all of this but to rest soon.
Hal
___________________________________________________________________________
Darrell Hickman
AFTER BULGE INCIDENT
By Roger
Marquet
Belgian Citizen
As I was researching what happened
to the 11th Armored Division during the Bulge, I received an account from John
Fague (21st A.I.B/11th Armd Div.). In this account, John told from an
infantryman's point of view what happened to him and his comrades during the
Bulge. I was very impressed by the combats and especially touched by the death
of all these young men
who came from overseas to liberate my country. When I
found out that one of these KIAs was buried in the Henri Chapelle American
Cemetery (only 20 miles away from my house at the time), I decided to adopt his
grave, meaning that I would attend the Memorial Day Service every year and place
flowers three times a year on the grave. His name was Robert Allen FORDYCE and
he was from Company B / 21st Armored Infantry Battalion / 11th Armored
Division.
Bob was born on April 30, 1925, in Waynesburg, PA. He graduated
from high school in 1943. He was involved in school activities and played on the
basket ball team (just like my son and daughter, 30 years later). He was
inducted into the Army on July 26, 1943 and received basic training at Camp
Roberts, CA. He studied under the ASTP at the College of Puget Sound in Tacoma,
WA (I visited Tacoma 7 years ago). After ending ASTP, he was transferred to the
21st A.I.B at Camp Cooke, CA. He arrived in Belgium on December 29, 1944 and was
killed in action 2 days later.
On New Year's Eve, December 31, 1944, as he
was in his foxhole, with Frank Hartzell on the slope facing the village of
Chenogne, he received a German shell and died instantly... alone, in the cold
and snowy weather, far away from his parents, girlfriend and country. And he was
only 19 ... What a cruel world we are living in!
I happened to find his
picture in the 50th Anniversary Thunderbolts book; I had it reprinted and
enlarged and the picture is now on my office wall.
The story is not
over.
My wife and I wanted to retire in the Ardennes (we were at the time
living in the Liège area), and since we knew the exact place where Bob Fordyce
was KIA , (John Fague had showed me the place when he came back to Belgium in
1997), we were able to buy that same land and had our new home build over there,
in the tiny village of Chenogne.
While our house was being built, we had the
visit from the man who was just beside Bob when the German shell exploded; Frank
Hartzell who was a Sergeant in the same Company B. Frank came to the spot
and was able to confirm to me that the place was indeed correct.
After moving
to our new house in February 2001, I planted a tree and put a
plaque on a
rock in front of it. I dedicated it to Bob Fordyce's memory, at the exact spot
where Bob was killed.
I find this story very positive : Bob's blood gave life
to a new home for his adoptive friends beyond the grave. Bob Fordyce's death is
a concrete example of giving his life to free the lives of other people. Bob is
now a member of my family, just like a glorious ancestor who could have been my
son at the same time because he was only 19 and he looks so young and so
ingenuous on the picture. I was born on September 9, 1945, so age wise, Bob
could have been my father. But, because his life was cut short at the age of 19
and because I am now 58, I consider myself more like a possible father to him.
Very strange and emotional feelings!
And the story in not over yet!
Thanks
to Harold Brandt - he is here too - another friend from 11th Armored , I was
able to come in contact with Bob's sister, Mae Jean Frazell and, who after a
while decided to make me a sort of heir to Bob's memorabilia. Thus she sent me
three packages containing a lot of emotional things that I engaged myself to
give to my own son when my time on earth ends. So, I am now the owner of the
flag which was on Bob 's casket during his funeral, all his medals, badges and
patches, a lot of pictures, his birth certificate, his scholar results, his High
School Band's hat, some newspapers clippings, and so on, and so on...
The
story is not over.
In August 2003 I was invited by the 11th Armored Division to be
the guest speaker during their annual reunion in Buffalo, NY. Mae Jean Fordyce
is living in New York State… And I was able to meet her twice during my stay in
Buffalo.
Now, the circle is closed up and I will do my best so that Bob
Fordyce's story never ends in our memory. One of my motto is : ''If someone
remembers you, you will never die''