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2005 Biannual Reunion
August 15-19, 2005
Savannah, GA
Bob Christie
To 517th Band of Brothers & Sisters,
I am getting ready to shut down operations until the storm passes. My old HP PC has about had it. I'm going to set up the Mac as long as I have it. It is state of the art with all kinds of memory, CD Burner, DVD, and it looks luxurious. Might as well put it to use. It should last for years. Mildred and I have been Battening Down the hatches, sand bags, Etc. The Thunderbolt is ready for Donna on Floppy Disks(6) which I think I will deliver after the storm. I am dismantling my equipment to move to a safer spot than the Florida Room, I don't trust the roof. I feel sorry for Floyd and Adrianna, they have had more than their share of wind and rain already. Just about every area in Florida will be effected by Frances. Hal & Helen sent some more information about the Bi-Annual Reunion in Savannah. Looks great. Bob
Ellsworth Harger
Hi Ben and all the ol' gang :
Just to bring you up to date. On 6 June I jumped into the air show, celebrating
/ commemorating Normandy D-Day!
Lots
of WWII fighter panes there, so I guess it was fitting to have a genuine WWII
paratrooper participate. The air show
Was held at Manitowoc, WI . Then on the 15 Aug. (remember that date ?-Ha) I made
my annual trip to the Green Bay
Skydivers DZ to Honor/Commemorate/remember those 517 ers who never made it back.
This year, being the 60 th.
anniversary
of our combat jump into So. France, we spruced it up a little. A Viet Nam era
101st. paratrooper and I
launched a 2-way from the door followed by two of the local jumpers who docked
to make a four-way (one with a
helmet mounted camera) a 5th. jumper with camera then circled the formation. The
aircraft was a twin beech flown
in especially for the event and had taken us( along with 7 other jumpers
to 12,000 ft. I dropped out at 5.000 ,for the
missing man, opening at 3,000 ft. It is all being put on a single VHS tape.
While it includes two days jumping and is quite
'chopped up ,as it was gathered from 3 cameras plus my daughter's home
camera, it will be available for family
members and friends to see and I can explain it all. I plan to jump there on
Labor Day as that is 61 yrs, since my very
first ever jump (also Labor Day) of 5 qualifying jumps for the US
PARATROOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS This summer I met Lester Holdridge "Whitey" H Co. 517th anyone out
there that knew him? He say ,"Hi"
Said Mackenzie used to fly his float plane in and visit him! He has been inAu
Train, MI all these years & I just met him
only about 10 miles away !!!
Blue Skies
El
Boom Boom AlickiFor more
September health observances, visit the 2004 National Health Observances Calendar
page.
Of course, please visit www.healthfinder.gov any time you have a health question. And just a reminder that you also can sign up to receive daily health news headlines by e-mail. Daily health news articles are featured on the healthfinder® Web site, with 1-year searchable archives in English and Spanish.
Of course, please visit www.healthfinder.gov any time you have a health question. And just a reminder that you also can sign up to receive daily health news headlines by e-mail. Daily health news articles are featured on the healthfinder® Web site, with 1-year searchable archives in English and Spanish.
Charlie Cook
From Charlie and Bernice Cook
Kingsland, Tx
Ben,
This is to let you know that we are signing off the
email as of Sept 5th. We are on our way to Alaska for about 10
months.
Our mailing address is.
205 Eagle Vista Circle, Wasilla, Ak.
99654
Charlie said he will see everyone in
Savannah.
We have certainly enjoyed receiving the emails from
the 517th.
May God Bless America!!
Bernice Cook
Helen Beddow
As many of you may know, Savannah is the "Hostess City of the South". The
Biannual Reunion of the 517th will be held at the DeSoto Hilton from August 15 -
19, 2005. The location of the Desoto Hilton is in the Historic area of Savannah,
and has many little shops, restaurants and sidewalk cafes within a short walking
distance. River Street is just a few blocks from the hotel and offers many
restaurants, shops and bars. There are many old historic homes, buildings and
churches in the immediate area of the hotel. Savannah is built on a series of
Squares with the Desoto Hilton being right in the center of that area. Hal and I
have planned events that we feel all of you will enjoy.
Following is a brief description of events for the week:
Monday - August 15,
Registration
Tuesday - August 16
Tour Day - Includes a tour of the Port of Savannah (security permitting), and then on to the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum with lunch at the Museum. This is a wonderful museum that features a Chapel as found in the English countryside
and an English Pub in the museum.
Wednesday - August 17
An evening dinner cruise on the Savannah River will be held on the Savannah River Queen.
Thursday - August 18
Ladies Luncheon held at noon.
Men's Business Luncheon held at the Desoto.
Patriotic Afternoon Program - Irish Night Evening
5:00 p.m. - A program of patriotic music and WW II songs provided by the
St. James Children's Choir, under the direction of Helen Beddow,
with WW II music provided by guest soloist Del DeMauro.
A special treat will be a presentation of Irish Dancers from the
Savannah Performing Arts Academy.
8:00 p.m. - An evening at Keven Berry's Irish Pub on River Street - this
is a Pub with a lot of fun and singing!
Friday - August 19
A tour of the Low-Country to include the Confederate Fort Pulaski,
Bonaventure Cemetery, Wormsloe Plantation and other points of historical
interest in the Savannah area.
Banquet - 7:00 p.m. - DeSoto Hilton Ballroom
There are other custom made tours that are available and can be set up at the time of registration.
All details to include registration fee and prices for the individual events will be given as soon as possible.
We hope to see you next August!!
Following is a brief description of events for the week:
Monday - August 15,
Registration
Tuesday - August 16
Tour Day - Includes a tour of the Port of Savannah (security permitting), and then on to the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum with lunch at the Museum. This is a wonderful museum that features a Chapel as found in the English countryside
and an English Pub in the museum.
Wednesday - August 17
An evening dinner cruise on the Savannah River will be held on the Savannah River Queen.
Thursday - August 18
Ladies Luncheon held at noon.
Men's Business Luncheon held at the Desoto.
Patriotic Afternoon Program - Irish Night Evening
5:00 p.m. - A program of patriotic music and WW II songs provided by the
St. James Children's Choir, under the direction of Helen Beddow,
with WW II music provided by guest soloist Del DeMauro.
A special treat will be a presentation of Irish Dancers from the
Savannah Performing Arts Academy.
8:00 p.m. - An evening at Keven Berry's Irish Pub on River Street - this
is a Pub with a lot of fun and singing!
Friday - August 19
A tour of the Low-Country to include the Confederate Fort Pulaski,
Bonaventure Cemetery, Wormsloe Plantation and other points of historical
interest in the Savannah area.
Banquet - 7:00 p.m. - DeSoto Hilton Ballroom
There are other custom made tours that are available and can be set up at the time of registration.
All details to include registration fee and prices for the individual events will be given as soon as possible.
We hope to see you next August!!
Kathy McIntosh
hi ben, we just received a CD with all the pics
from so. france. antoine patel and keith sutton sent them from all the
ceremonies. antoine sent the newspaper clippings from le muy and lourges
with pictures. they are in french, but i will scan them and send them just
in case someone would like to see them. glad gene is hopme and can't wait to
hear the rest of the stories. did i tell you i rented a car in Nice and
took out the insurance and got 2 dents in it before i left the garage. then i
couldn't figure out how fast 140 km was, as i was driving the freeway ,(no
tollway) to lemuy.
Tom McAvoy
Ben Do you keep a quiick reference chart of our guys that make
there
final jump??? Tom McAvoy
final jump??? Tom McAvoy
**************
No. I try to keep track of them before they make the final
jump.-Ben
Floyd Polk
Ben,
We just finish cleaning up the trash from
Charley and now Frances is on the way.
Floyd
Dorothy McKenzie
Hi Ben.. Quick note... As I understand it.. Jack Dunaway died many
years ago here in Florida. Perhaps you will get moe information from other
HDQS 2nd that knew him.
Dorothy
Lud Gibbons
Hey Ben~~
Would you believe it?? This "guy" is
the head of the French Army!! You feel like
kissing her instead of saluting her,
right? I took this photo during the Ceremony at
the
American Cemetery in Draguignan,
France.
Her official title is Minister of Defense
and her name is Mme. Michelle Alliot-Marie.
The gentleman at the extreme right is
Admiral Gregory Johnson, Commander,
U.S. Naval Forces
Europe.
I have to agree with Marty and the rest of
the people on our trip...the French people
couldn't be nicer. I hope they
realize how much we appreciate their kindness.
Lud
