From: Ben517
Sent: Thursday, December 09, 2004 2:16 AM
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 811 517TH PRCT--DECEMBER 9, 2004
Hello,
 
Sixty years ago today the 517th arrived in Soissons, France and within nine days were ordered to move into the Ardennes That was the beginning of The Battle of The Bulge for the 517PRCT.
I will be away from my computer for about two weeks starting December 18 and although I expect to send out Mail Call and to receive mail,  I will not have a scanner and other resources available and therefore in the next few Mail Calls I will try to include photos and proclamations referring to that event. Many have been in past Mail Calls, but we have many new members in the past year.
Ben
 

The The above photo was in Life magazine and The Thunderbolt in the early nineties. It is the 517th.

Harris Johnson
 
Ben,
 
My second wife is Shipp's daughter.  I am essentially doing this research for her.  She wants her direct descendants to have some concept of her father's time in WWII. 
 
As an amateur student of WWII, I find his story of interest.  The stories of enlisted men, since I was one, hold a special interest for me.  I once spent a lot of time reading about the Civil War and understand the value of family papers in tracing ancestors and events.  I moved on to the WWII when I figured out that I could still talk to people who were involved and read any and everything I can lay my hands on.  Fact first and then fiction if it is closely tied into a specific situation.
 
Couple pieces of trivia.  In business years ago I took a Japanese man, who was a Zero pilot at Pearl Harbor, and a Russian, who fought in Berlin in WWII, to the Grand Old Oprey in Tennessee.  While they both had English I doubt if they understood what was happening. On another occasion a member of my department, a D Day Paratrooper now deceased, who was captured a couple of days later, entertained a German business visitor of mine and learned that the man was a member of Goering 's Parachute Team who had been captured at Casino.  I let them talk for two or three days before we got back to work.  I remember getting along with this German when we first met because I knew something about WWII.
 
Is there anywhere I can visit which might have Casualty Report copies for the 517th that are available for review?
 
Do you think the Fort Bragg museums would have anything about the 517th?  I haven't gone down there, but can easily do so.
 
Regards,
 
Harris 
                                                         *************
Harris is seeking information about Lawrence Shipp Service Co.  
Tom McAvoy
 
Margret Lavele,  You are so lucky to have seen the memorial  as you
described.  When we were there in 1967 with our young family, We were told the only way we could do it was board a small ship and they would take us near there as no one was allowed on the memorial.  So we did and then we were told after starting the trip, No Pictures. (How Dumb) There  excuse a submarine was near by and the Navy did not want pictures of it taken.  We saw no submarine, We saw other people on the memorial, So we had been taken in and then they wanted to sell us there pictures of the Memorial  on our way back to port.   Always sleaze merchants trying to take advantage of someone.  We have been back to Hawaii  8-9times since and have not tried to see it again.  Tom McAvoy
Early registrants for Kissimmee reunion Jan 23, 2004
 
                         Florida Snowbird Reunion Roster 2005

Number      Name    Paid        Pirates Din. Adven.

  
1   Beddow,Hal          $35.00       
2   Beddow,Helen     $35.00       
3   Christie,Bob         $35.00                     $39.00      
4   Christie,Mildred   $35.00                     $39.00      
5   Barrett,Ben           $35.00       
6   Boyle,Bill               $35.00                     $39.00      
7   Boyle,Babbie       $35.00                     $39.00      
8   Darden,Jesse      $35.00                     $39.00      
9   Darden,Lou          $35.00                     $39.00      
10 Royer,Jim             $35.00                      $39.00      
11 Royer,June          $35.00                      $39.00      
12 Barrett,Jeff           $35.00       
13 Scaringi,Lou        $35.00                      $39.00      
14 Scaringi,Joyce    $35.00                      $39.00      
15 Egner, Darrell      $35.00