Lory Curtis

Dear Ben,
Just returned from France with my brother and father, where my father, Harland “Bud” Curtis, HQ, 1st Bn, and Dr. Walter Goforth, MD both received France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor on June 5, 2004 at the Hotel des Invaledes. On June 6th the group was taken to Omaha beach and we sat on the 5th row in front of President Bush as he gave his address. Please see the pictures. Only 100 American veterans were chosen to be taken to France to receive this medal. What an honor for two men from the 517th PRCT to be selected. It is my opinion that the French government has recognized the gallantry, valor, and sacrifice the men of the 517th PRCT gave to France. All of you are Legion of Honor winners! I just wish all of you could have been there with us. The French said, “We will never forget!”

Howard Hensleigh

This is a story of a gutsy little guy who wanted to be a paratrooper. I have been trying to call him for a week or so without success. So, my details will have to come from Fred Harmon, the stalwart platoon sergeant of H Co. I always know when the season to be jolly begins, because Fred’s Christmas card always is the first to arrive. Fred was a platoon sergeant from Mackall (and perhaps earlier) all though the War. He said a Lt. at Mackall got on his tail; he worked on the platoon until he had the best platoon in the Regiment. He had good words about most of his officers, but Capt. "Skip" Morris left the outfit because of leadership problems in combat, was promoted to major in a rear echelon job and was replaced by Richard Jackson who was a superb combat commander. Then came the story about the little guy who had to eat several bunches of bananas to meet the 120 lb. weight requirement.
This guy’s name is James "Jim" T Degnan. He is on our roster, but has an answering machine. According to Fred, Mel Zais at the interview looked at him and said, "You don’t weigh 120 pounds." Jim responded that he could do anything the big guys could do and if Mel didn’t believe him, just give him something to do and he’d prove it. Mel said that was the kind of attitude he wanted in the 3rd Bn. and Jim was in. In some of the first combat in Italy, Jim was down, hit in both knees. As H Company moved on they started to leave Jim for graves registration until he yelled at them to get him out of there. According to Fred, Tom McAvoy carried Jim to the medics and is credited with saving Jim’s life. Tom is a guy I have a hard time keeping track of, but at this time he was in H Co. where he served in Italy along with his earlier and later assignments to regimental and battalion S-2. Maybe we can get some more details about Jim from Tom.

While visiting France, my father, brother, and I had the opportunity to visit Col de Braus. The café still is there and the plagues to the 517^th are still displayed. Phillip, the proprietor showed us his 517^th hats he received from LT Lynch. He was very happy to see us and wanted me to wish everyone in the 517^th the very best. We also visited the sites in Le Muy and visited with Michel, the Le Muy museum’s curator.

See the attached picture of me, my father and brother Tim standing by the signs to Perira Cava, Sospel and Col de Braus, all towns in which the 517^th stayed and fought. The café in Col de Braus is still there today and displays the plaques from the 517^th PRCT. The café and old partial house left on the hill side where 517^th troopers stayed. The museum in Le Muy. The Curator Michel speaking with my father.

We will soon have this and other pictures on the website-Ben

The History Of Flag Day

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America's birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as 'Flag Birthday'. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as 'Flag Birthday', or 'Flag Day'.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as 'Flag Day', and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.

Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children's celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: "I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself."

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day - the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 - was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson's proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.