From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 7:12 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 688 517TH PRCT--MAY 10, 2004
 

Hello

 
Some  of this "Mail Call" pertains to Gene Brissey. We could have no better subject.
 
Please help  Lowell Stevens  Lowell.w.Stevenssr@US.Army.Mil  who is doing a pictorial history of Mackall as well as writing the history of Mackall. You can help him by sending photos and stories about the time you were at Mackall.
 
Ben
Website                      www.517prct.org  
Mail Call                     Ben517@aol.com
Mail Call Archives   www.517prct.org/archives
Roster                        www.517prct.org/roster.pdf
 
Dot Lubic
 
Do you know of any 517th troopers who are planning to attend the dedication ceremonies over Memorial weekend in DC?  My daughter, Cindy ( you met her when she came to the dinner dance in Columbus), is planning to take Andrew. 

She would like to help Andrew meet up with other 517th attendees if at all possible.  She is really excited about helping Andrew see the memorial and attend the dedication.  Since she is in the army this trip will mean a lot to both of them.

Dot
Joseph Martel
 
Read about Sgt Bender. I knew him only slightly but my good friend
Anthony Manley was killed at the same time as Sgt Bender. Does anyone
know how many of us in E Company were left when we were relieved? I know
there weren't many of us but I was just too beat to count anything.
Joseph Martel, E Company
Tom McAvoy
 
Regarding Photos of camp McCall. Did you know the movie picture of 
"Objective Burma  starring Earl Flynn was shot in North Carolina, and of
the 517 making  the Jump shown as if it was in Burma?? On a very very
windy day??  A lot of our troopers were injured on the drop because of the
very high winds??? Should not have been allowed but Hollywood had already
waited a number of days for right condition , finally they called for the
jump  anyway??  Tom McAvoy
Lowell Stevens

Thank you very much Ben for your timely response. Looking forward to receiving photos from your members. Lowell

Howard Hensleigh

Ben:

My thanks to you and Bob for providing a website that has attracted the attention of Lowell W. Stevens, Range Officer of Camp Mackall. Thanks to him for heading the history project of Camp Mackall. It is a story that needs to be told. Most of the early parachutists have vivid memories of it and the events that shaped our lives for the instant future and forever. We all remember Mackall with fondness. It was our "home away from home". Here we did the early morning (before chow) runs. In training we didn’t hit the dirt, we hit the sand. It was a bustling bee hive of activity that was the training ground for some of the most elite combat units ever to hit the field.

We of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team Association encourage all our members to participate in Lowell Stevens’ history of Camp Mackall project by sending pictures and stories directly to him or through Mail Call. They will be of interest to all.

Our hats are off to you and Lowell, Howard Hensleigh

John Alicki

About Gene Brissey's acute memory in remembering vividly and in detail of his buddies and of his experiences.  I highly recommend to you Gene to compose all into a book for all of us troopers and  kin to cherish before we hear the beat of the drummer.     Thanks for the memories!

                                          **************

  Hi Boom Boom, Gene has already done so. It is a must reading for anyone interested in the 517                                       

We have many stories on our website from 517 troopers. You must read from "Soldiers Stories"  Autobiography of Eugene L. Brissey

This  history is an unpublished (as of yet) manuscript written by Gene Brissey, 517 PRCT, Company E.  It is a copy of his personal memoirs of his time in the Army and with the 517th during the war.  It is a very honest and candid description of personal events, and we hope that this provides an informative chronicle with insights into that period in history, from someone who was there. 

Howard Hensleigh

Ben:

We all join Pat Seitz and Chris Liddell in a salute to Gene Brissey. We are glad Gene is not through. He has added another story about Roger Bender in Mail Call 687. The eloquence about those lost at Bergstein, a stone’s throw from making it home, covers many of our best men. Jim Birder of I Company and Woody Woodhull, our 460th artillery observer, are on that list.

Bill Webb’s book, "Escapades" eloquently tells the Third Battalion story statistically, see pages 44 and 45:

" Ed and I were sitting in a weapons carrier on a ridge along with about eight other vehicles, watching our battalion march off the lines. I counted them:

"I" Company 10

"H" Company 15

"G" company 35

"Hq." Company 55

TOTAL 115

We will remember those names and faces at the end of the month on Memorial Day. My highest regards to those men and the survivors, Howard Hensleigh