From: Ben517
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2005 12:41 AM
Subject: MAIL CALL NO.860 517TH PRCT-MARCH 2, 2005
Hello,
 
You can contribute to the fund to bring over our European friends to the reunion by sending check to our treasurer Bob Christie 390302 Blvd. W Unit 10C,
Bradenton, Fl. 34205. Indicate that  the check is for  European friends fund.
 
Ben
 
 
Website                                  www.517prct.org
Mail Call                                  Ben517@aol.com
Mail Call Archives                    www.517prct.org/archives
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!

Tom McAvoy
 
Subject:
: Emil Tarabas passing Jan 15th 2000
 
Today I received a letter from Emil's daughter that he had passed away
Saturday   Jan 15th at age 82  His viewing was Jan.20th in Philadelphia
and services  Jan 21st and burial  at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, 
Emil had gone into the military at Indiantown Gap in 1940 in the National
Guard,  and was separated from the military at Indiantown Gap in 1945, 
He and his wife  Ann were very good friends of ours. We enjoyed meeting
them at our reunions, (Ann passed away maybe 10 years ago or so??)   Tom
&  Ann  McAvoy
Notice of his passing came from his daughter  Tina Taraba Mahoney  8629
Belfry Dr. Philadelphia  Penn. 19128-1917 This letter dated 2- 26- 05
Tom  McAvoy
Tom Cross
 
Ben:
    I have the 517th PRCT After Action Reports.  Here is my status report on this subject:
    What I have is the last WW ll original copy that was produced as the last carbon copy on a WW ll GI Issue Royal Portable Typewriter. It is difficult to read for the most part because of being the last carbon copy and the fact the original typist was a little mixed up in his spelling of towns and persons.
    I rescued this from the trash bin at Hq. 505th PIR in 1946.This was when the 517th PIR was deactivated and what was left of the 517th PIR Battalions were co-mingled with the returning 505th PIR Battalions as they returned from the ETO.
    Apparently the instructions issued by Hq. 517th PRCT, during the early combat phase of the Airborne Operation, for the format for these OPERATION DRAGOON After Action Reports were vague in nature or loosely interpreted by the subordinate elements of the 517th PRCT. Knowing our independent spirit and disdain for most administrative matters I am in possession of a a variety of formats of the two above conditions.
    I am partway through reconstructing these After Action Reports. When finished I will send them to you so they can be published on our 517th PRCT Web Site. I will go through them and spot check for mention of other units and report my findings to you. Do not expect them tomorrow but they will arrive in due course. You will be  amazed at the creative writing , composition and interpretation of our  Battalion and Company Commanders creative writing abilities and the variety of formats used.
    I will give you the result of my findings of participation and/or mention of other 1st ABTF
units by telephone ASAP.
Regards, Tom 
Bob Christie
 
Dominic, I don't know what "Static" refers to. Evidently , you are unaware of all the stories that are continually coming in to Mail Call. Evidently, you are unaware of our quarterly news publication, "Thunderbolt", of which I am the Editor. We exchange information and stories with our dear friends in France and Belgium  We visited with them this past year and welcome their visits to the U.S., especially at our reunions. Just what does "Static" mean???,   Bob Christie  Hq. 2nd. 517th PRCT.
                                                                  ***********
Dominic was referring to his new expanded site to cover entire WW2 Airborne units www.ww2-airborne.us . We have our own site but you can send him information if you wish to do so.-Ben
Tom Cross
 
Ben:
    Reference the Message just sent to you regarding the 517th PRCT OPERATION DRAGOON After Action Reports:
    The above referenced reports only pertain to the 517th PRCT Units.
I wrote another After Action Report entitled OPERATION DRAGOON: THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE which was published In the USA AIRBORNE 50th ANNIVERSARY BOOK published by Turner Publishing Company of Paducah, Kentucky for the 50th Airborne Anniversary held in Washington, DC in 1950. Don Lassen of the STATIC LINE  was selling copies of this book sometime ago and may still have copies or know a good source. My article contains references to the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, and there is a separate article on the 551st itself -- also many special references  pertaining to the 551st.
    Another reference on the 551st is Dan Morgan's book on the 551st entitled: The Left Corner of MY Heart published by Alder Enterprises in 1984. Their address is Box 58, Wauconda, Washington
Zip Code 98859. This book is in limited supply as the initial offering was only for 600 books. Anyone desiring a copy or info on this book might contact Colonel Doug Dillard, USA Ret., a former member of the 551st using the address given in his 551st PIB Column  appearing in the monthly issue of Don Lasson's STATIC LINE.
    This is the best info I can offer  at this time. Perhaps others of our Association Members might have something to add to these comments. Regards, TOM
Andy Peitsch
Ben,
Thank you! I am going to be interviewing on of the 551st Survivors.  I'll take this e-mail along. I'll check out the Paratroopers Odyssey and give it a read.  I hope Tom might be able to pass along some more info.
 
Thanks much!
 
Andy Peitsch
Lory Curtis

Ben,

            I would like to get a copy of the Dragoon after action report.  I do I obtain one?

            Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis HQ, 1st Bn

Gene Frice

A beautiful message,
     It does take a few minutes to load, however worth it. The music is very low-turn up volume
          Gene

  <http://www.clermontyellow.accountsupport.com/flash/UntilThen.swf>

Shirley McCarey

Hi Ben ----- I was off-line for a week plus, and since then, I've not gotten one Mail Call ---- could it be that some were sent to me and because I was off-line for awhile, they were sent back to you and you probably figured I'd skipped the country ------- so please, try again to send my Mail Calls.   I miss reading them.     Shirley McCarey   Friend of the 517th     (thetraveler@pnx.com)

                                          *********
Shirley was a victim of the three strike rule. She has been reinstated. -Ben
Lou Holzworth