From: Ben517
Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 3:02 AM
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 858 517TH PRCT- FEBRUARY 27 , 2005
Hello,
 
Mail in this "Mail Call" says much about how we are planning to raise funds to assure that our European friends attend our reunion In Savannah.
 
Ben

Website                                  www.517prct.org
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Roster                                     www.517prct.org/roster.pdf


Latest information on reunions. NEW
Annual West Coast Party 2005
April 10-16, 2005
Palm Spring, CA
More info soon
2005 Biannual Reunion
August 15-19, 2005
Savannah, GA

Registration due before July 10, 2005!

 


Howard Hensleigh

Dear Ben:

Here is our plan for assisting the European friends of the Combat Team attend our reunions. First, a short quote from Article I, Section 2 of our bylaws which describes the Association’s objectives: "Its objectives shall be to preserve, in patriotic reverence, memory of those men who served in the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team....." I need not elaborate on how our European friends do this in the areas of the Combat Team’s battlefields and cemeteries. Merle, Gene, Joyce Turco, Dick, Bill, Tom and others have eloquently made that point.

Here is our plan. You may send contributions for this purpose to our treasurer, Bob Christie, 390 301 Blvd. W. #10C, Bradenton, FL 34205. They will be deposited separately and disbursed to defray the expenses of our European friends who are invited to attend our national reunions, including the upcoming one in Savannah. If you have any suggestions, send them with your donations to Bob, or to Gene Frice, or both.

Gene Frice, our first vice president, Lud Gibbons, our second VP, and Merle McMorrow, our past president, will contact our friends in France and Belgium to see who can make the trip to Savannah with our assistance. For the Oklahoma City reunion, we sent airline tickets to our guests. We will expect a recommendation from Gene, Lud and Merle on whether we do that again or defray some of the Savannah costs. All three of these gentlemen have visited our battlefield and have had personal contact with all the people named by Dick in his Mail Call message. They are well qualified for the job. Invitations will be issued as soon as these men have things in place.

Our next Thunderbolt is set in concrete--at the press to be distributed soon. Since only about ten percent of our members are on the net, we may send out a message to all members on this subject.

Highest regards, Howard Hensleigh

--- Howard Hensleigh
--- hhensleigh@earthlink.net
Gene Frice
 
To Ben and all,
     I want to thank everyone for their concern relating to bringing 517th supporters from Europe and those veterans of the 517th who have difficulty in attending our functions.
     Last night I was called by our association President, Howard Hensleigh, concerning the above. A number of others have written Ben in the mail call. This is obviously a timely topic and various areas need to be resolved.
     Howard advised that our charter has no provision for providing funds to bring a 517 member to functions. Further, at the present, there is no internal system to make such a choice. Over the years we have conducted regional gatherings, which in part made travel somewhat easier for our members.
     The most important aspect of this is; the visitors from Europe have not been funded out of the 517th funds. They either have arranged their own travel or have been funded by contributions from our membership -- I, and many others, have contributed to that fund in the past. Bill Lewis, in his unique manner of managing the books, may have found other ways to bring our friends to our gathering.
     Merle McMorrow (a previous President) described, most profoundly in yesterdays mail call, the justification for bringing our Europe friends to the 517th. In part, the future of the 517th for our veterans, family, and supporters, rests with the friends we have in those countries where we served so many years ago. The USA, and the world, needs that voice, however small, amongst the many that certainly are not supporters of our country.
     Howard said all aspects of this problem needs to be resolved in our meetings arising in the next few months.  However the bringing our distinguished guests to this country needs to be addressed immediately, and by individual contributions from our membership.
     Gene Frice, F Co

 Marty Donahoo
 
As soon as someone sets up a fund for our European friends, Lud and I will be delighted to
contribute.  They're all always so nice to us.  Eric and Michael from the museum in Le Muy were
especially helpful to us on our August Anniversary trip.  Actually "helpful" doesn't really say
it.  When we were staying with our French benefactors they came with their jeep to pick us
up to take us to the ceremonies.  They got us a hotel room when there were none available. 
(We don't have any idea how they accomplished that!)  
And anyone who has been to Belgium since WWII knows that we've been treated like royalty
there.  
I think a "thank you and appreciation" fund would be really great.
Also, thank you and appreciation to you, Ben
Marty
(Sister of "Zoot" Snyder, Co A)    

Merle McMorrow
The $ 8,000 that was excess from the reunion in Bismarck should have been set up as a separate fund for use in bringing our friends to future reunions.  That excess developed from those attending the reunion but became a part of the general fund for the entire membership.
 
                                                       Merle
Darrell Egner
 
Ben
 
There has been so much talk in Mail Call about the pros and cons of paying for foreign visitors to visit us at the Reunion in Savannah and/or paying for some of our members that can't afford to come to the Reunion.
 
No one has come up with the key word "How much money do we have in our bank account"  I have to believe this has to be the starting point.  I am also under the impression that our bank account grows each year.  For the most part our Reunions pay for themselves so the fund must increase each year.
 
As with most "Non-profit originations" when that originations ceases to operate the money goes to Charity.  I am not a lawyer nor do I know what our By-Laws say but this is the norm.  Needless to say I am for some charities and I am comfortable with that.
 
In conclusion aren't we putting the Horse before the Cart?
 
Darrell Egner
Hq, 2nd Bt.

John Alicki
 
Ben..... I agree with the comments made by Dick Seitz and Bill Boyle. I will be more then glad to make a contribution.

From: Dominic Biello [mailto:the504thpir@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 26, 2005 11:35 PM
To: Ben Barrett
Subject: Link Update/Request

Mr Barrett,
 
First off you do a wonderful job keeping the 517th PRCT spirit alive.
 
There are two reasons for my e-mail. First, you have a link to my site that is no longer operational.  It is listed as the 82nd Airborne  http://www.geocities.com/`the504thpir
 
 
Thank you for the link and I have reciprocated on all the pages referencing the 517th PCRT.
 
My site originally began while researching my uncle and namesake Pvt Dominic T Biello, 504th PIR, Co D 82nd Airborne. He fought from Sicily until he was KIA at the Battle of the Bulge.  Over the years visitors to my site sent me quite a bit of info and I decided to expand the site to cover the entire WW 2 airborne community so that relatives and students understand that the 101st and the 82nd weren't the only airborne units in WW 2
 
Recently, I've been updating the 101st and 82nd with new info. I've also have been adding info on the 17th & 11th Airborne. However, I've noticed that the 517th PCRT has remained static for quite some time. I was wondering if any of your members from the 517th, 460th or 596th would care to share a memory.  I also would like to publish a summary of the 596th AEC Unit History if anyone can provide that info and any unit citations for the individual units or team.
 
Keep up your good work! Thanks you for your service to our country
Regards,
 
Dominic T Biello