From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Monday, March 08, 2004 8:19 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 656 517TH PRCT--MARCH 8, 2004
Hello,
 
We have not been able to get email to Michel Soldi and Eric Renoux at the museum in Du Muy, France. The address that we have ks  jimi-lizy@infonie.fr .Has anyone been able to contact them?
 
Ben 

Website                        www.517prct.org
Mail Call                        ben517@aol.com
Mail Call archives       www.517prct.org/archives
Rposter                        www,517prct.org/roster.pdf


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

_____________________________________________________------__

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
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


Hal Beddow

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

Mr Barrett
 
Many thanks for your prompt reply.  The silver star is on his discharge paper that lists his service and his medals.  He also got a bronze star with an arrowhead. Here's what the certificate says:
 
    Decorations: EAME Service Ribbon, One Silver Star, One Bronze Service Star and one Bronze Arrowhead -Good Conduct Medal -- Bronze Star Medal GO 46 13 A-B DIV 4.
 
I saw his citation for the Bronze Star and it was for the patrols he was on which you mentioned.
 
I copied the History of C Company off one of your sites.
 
Thanks again
 
Darrell Hickman

Darrell Hickman
Dear Ben
 
I should have mentioned that Uncle Wayne's discharge certificate listed these battles and campaigns:
 
Southern France/ Normandy GO 33WD 45/ Rome-Arno/ Rhineland/ Ardennes GO 40 WD 45/ Central Europe GO 45 WD 45.
 
I don't have a clue as to what the numbers and figures after the battles mean, but I expect someone does.
 
I went back over my notes of conversations I had with my Uncle and in almost every discussion he mentioned the combat jump at Normandy.  There were just a few men from each unit chosen to give them a combat jump.  They flew to England, made the jump and were pulled out after a short time  --perhaps days -- and flown back to the outfit in Italy.
 
Darrell Hickman 

Brian Welborn
Hi, Ben --- if we had the e-mail address of Darrell Hickman (just read that he is interested in finding someone that knew his Uncle, Wayne Jackson) - perhaps we could tell him something about him ----- I was in the same platoon as both Jackson and Shaddox - but I don't remember anything about any of them leaving and going to England or Normandy --
 
Brian Welborn

Mark Baird
Ben,   The helicopter 'movie' did come on but took
about 10 minutes to download on my 1914 Model T
machine ..
  Mark Baird
The following does not involve the 517 but Roger Marquet, a Belgian historian, is a friend of all American veterans. The 517 has many Belgian friends such as Roger. His story needs no explanation.
Ben
 
Roger Marquet
Hi, Ben !
I attached for you my story with Bob Fordyce. Please feel free to use it the way you want. I have no copyrights of course; this is a personal and a moving story to me but I'm always happy to share with others.
I'm now living in Chenogne; my address is:
ROGER MARQUET
CHENOGNE 1D
B-6640 SIBRET
Belgium
All the best and best regards
Roger

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''