Hello,
Clark Archer, our historian is feeling better. I talked to him yesterday
and he told me about a radio interview he had the night before with Patrick
O'Donnell, the author of "Beyond Valor".
Ben
2005 Biannual Reunion
August 15-19, 2005
Savannah, GA
Marty Donahoo
Hi Ben~~
Just a note to tell you of a remarkable thing that happened to Lud and I
when we
first got to Southern France. We arrived in Nice at around 8:30
pm. Rented a car
and drove to Les Arcs where we had made hotel reservations for 4 nights a
month
or so earlier. Entering this tiny town at 9:30 we showed some
passersby the
printout of the reservation. No one seemed to know where this hotel
was located.
We stopped at a small Pizzeria and the gentleman there pointed to a
nearby
Hotel/Restaurant/Bar to which we then went. As Lud waited in the car
I went
inside to get directions. To make a long story a little bit
shorter...I finally was
made to realize our reservation was at another Les Arcs! This one in
the Maritime
Alps. A ski resort. 400 Kilometers from the Les Arcs we were
in. The lady who
was able to speak some English was relaying our dilemma (in French, of
course)
to others in the restaurant, upon which one couple offered their home for
us to
stay in. Meanwhile the restaurant owner was on the phone trying to
find us a
room somewhere in the vicinity. (No one had even seen the infamous Lud
Gibbons
at this point! Although I had told them I was with a
WWII paratrooper...I throw that
in wherever I go!) In any case, no rooms were available anywhere
near. So we
were basically forced to accept the generous invitation of this French
couple.
The wife was a beautiful lady of 56 and could speak a little English.
Her husband
was a very young 77 and could not speak a single English word. They
had fairly
recently purchased a 400 year old Monastery and were refurbishing it into a
very
lovely home. We had a bedroom and bath wing to ourselves and
they treated us
like royalty! We stayed there 2 nights and after Eric and Jean Michel
(the museum
pair) finally found us a hotel room this lovely couple came
to all of our ceremonies.
What a great experience! All in all we had a wonderful time.
After the ceremonies
were all over we went to Callian (where Lud landed on that fateful night)
and feel
like we pretty well traced the area where he actually landed. Claire
Giblin and
her family, including her father Allan Johnson, and Leo Dean were with
us.
I read Claire's message to Mail Call and I agree with everything she
wrote. And
what a nice family they are! I only wish more 517thers could have
been there.
Hope your move is going nicely, or has gone nicely. My best to
Fran.
Thanks once more for all you do.
Regards, Marty
Kathy McIntosh
we also are back from France and had a wonderful time.
we started at the ceremonies in LeMuy and continued on to the little town close
by called Lourges. there was a luncheon, 5 1/2 hrs for dad.
that is where he landed on the 15th and broke his leg. the nuns hid
him. we saw the convent and different parts of the town but the best part
was meeting the members of the french resistance. the head of them was
named antoine patel. the french love to eat (french bread and drink lots
of wine.) i have never been to a lunch that long. the women would
come up and hug dad and sing him old resistant songs. they loved having
him there. we were in LeMUy at their celebration at the school when Fran
Olsen, a member of the resistance came and got us and told us we were missing
dad's celebration. during lunch, the mayor of Lourges went and got a huge
marching band and 20 young dancing girls from somewhere close by in italy.
they had learned the star spangle banner and were so proud to play it for
us. it was a wonderful day.
the next day we were off to the american cemetary in
draganian. that was something to see. all the members of the 517th
that were there with their families. then we met up with a friend that
lives near LeMuy. Keith Sutton, an historian that works in england, he
took us to another nearby village called Vidabaun. again dad was the
center of attention. there were ceremonies by the american legion and they
were so glad that there was an american there. they had 3 ceremonies and
everyone marched thru town and then they finished in a beautiful shaded grove
where they had food and wine. we met a lot of french paratroopers that
belonged to the american legion. dad was given a pin with their wings on
it. one of the men, who was also in the resistance, gave dad the 60th
anniversary tag that they all had. he had gotten it from someone at
Normandy.
dad never got his tag and would really like his if anyone has
any info on how to get it. all the other men from the 517th had
one.
we finished up with the finale at LeMuy with dinner and
dancing in the town square. the glenn miller band was fantastic. the
weather was perfect and the dancing was great. we left for home at midnite and
made it safely back to nice. i must say that when the paratroopers said it
was pitch black the morning of the 15th when they jumped, i can vouch for
that. on the road home where there are no lights, it was pitch black and
very hard to see.
the next day was a history lesson by Keith Sutton at our
hotel. he came loaded with maps and pictures and explained step by step
what the 517th did that day and the next. he is very interested in
starting up a tour for the families of the 517th to show them exactly where
everything took place, all over so france. we will definitely go back when
the grandkids are big enough to appreciate it. my nephew that was with us
got so into the history part that he has come home with a new outlook on life
and will go back to college to become a history major.
all in all it was a fantastic trip.....here are a couple pics
of the 517th.
----- Original Message ----- this is at the
american cemetery but i don't see gene frice. he was there.
Boom Boom Alicki
Jim Benton
Ben
Me and my computer have
both been out of action lately. but for now at least we are both operating
properly.
My computer was down about a month so missed quite a
lot.
I
just came from a stay at the VA hospital where I was treated for Atrial
Fibrillation They performed a procedure that has my heart operating normal
again. As this was my first stay in a VA hospital, was very impressed the
excellent care I received there.
I was happy to see
on MAIL CALL that the POLKS are OK although they must have had a rough
time.
Ben, thanks
a lot for all you do to keep us informed.
Jim
Benton Skyboyhiact
insight,bb.com
Tom McAvoy
I found this guy in the 1992 roster Ben but he was
not in the 2002- or
2004 roster lived in Brooksville Fla. in 1992 I
wonder if he passed away
and I missed out on his obit?? also have you heard
anything about Jack
Dunaway from the West Coast?? He had a law office in
Hollywood Calif,
lived in L.A. Thanks Ben Tom McAvoy
Entry of Aug 26, 2004 at
17:20 [EST]
Name: Kenneth Flore
Unit:
EMail:
bigdadamoose@msn.com
How I
found the 517th page: Heard from a member of the 517th
Comments:
Trying to find information on my Uncle, Larry Stedman. He served in the
517th PRCT B-company 1943-45. Also would like to say Thank You to all who
sacrificed for this great nation. God Bless you.
Entry of Aug 30, 2004 at 10:46 [EST]
Name:
Forrest B. Wellman
Unit: 517th Prct Inf.
EMail:
fbw1925@aol.com
How I
found the 517th page: unknown
Comments: I would like to give you
my new mailing address: Forrest B. Wellman 5002 Eagle Perch Way, Greensboro,
N.C. 27407 Thank you.