Dear Ben:  You may find this interesting.  I will answer it.  We are
fortunate to have men like Bill Boyle and Don Fraser who played an
important part in the history of the Bulge around to talk to at our
reunions.  Highest regards,  Howard Hensleigh

--- Howard Hensleigh
--- hhensleigh@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Stevin Oudshoorn <stevin@basher82.nl>
> To: <hhensleigh@earthlink.net>
> Date: 3/16/2005 3:21:05 PM
> Subject: Re: Capt Woodhull
>
> Dear Mr. Hensleigh,
>
> I am very sorry that I haven't responded sooner to this very interesting
> e-mail. I have been very busy with University and we have just moved house.
> We are still settling in with many boxes still unpacked but the house is
> starting to look like something. Fortunately the website is back on-line,
> after some technical difficulties.
>
> I have visited General Rose's grave several time and am working on his page
> that I will add to my site. However, there is much more known about him than
> many other soldiers buried at Margraten and to do him justice, I want to
> research him properly before adding him to the site.
>
> I was aware of the biography that was published, but that seems to be sold
> out and out of print at the moment. I am still looking for a copy and hope I
> will find one soon. Your description of the book and where 'it hit home' for
> you really wants me to read the book as well. I very much appreciate your
> thoughts and opinions on this book and General Rose. What I have read about
> him is that he was a very popular and capable (divisional) commander.
>
> I'd like to ask you; were Bill Boyle and Don Fraser liaison officers of the
> 517th to the 3rd that they met with Gen. Rose and Col. Howze? Or was he to
> attach his Bn to Howze's reserve? Was the 517th part of Gen ridgway's 18th
> Airborne Corps at that time, together with the 82nd  and 101st Divisions?
> That was a really interesting story and one that I would love to add to Gen.
> Rose's page when I have that done.
>
> Your recollections are incredible. I get really excited reading your e-mails
> and stories as it gives so much information that leads me to research
> further and other avenues of research.
>
> I will stop for now, as I have more boxes to unpack, but will be in contact
> shortly. Have you ever considered (or maybe you have already done this)
> putting your memoirs to paper? You really have a great way of writing and
> great stories. I hope you do, as I am always interested in having these
> memories preserved for the future generations.
>
> Today I updated Capt. Woodhull's page with pictures of his grave. A Dutch
> friend who lives close by Margraten went there today and emailed them to me.
> If you would like pictures of his grave, please let me know.
>
> I hope to add the other 517 men soon too. Still hope to find out more about
> them. I have been in contact with several veterans about some of them.
>
> I will be in contact.

 Thanks again for your wonderful and very interesting e-mail!! If there is 
anything I can do for you, please let me know.
 Warm regards,
>
> Stevin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Howard Hensleigh" <hhensleigh@earthlink.net>
> To: "Stevin Oudshoorn" <stevin@basher82.nl>
> Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 6:11 PM
> Subject: RE: Capt Woodhull
>
>
> > The book also gives some clues in answer to your question as to why some
> > American officers were as far forward as Woody and I were at Bergstein.
> > General Rose believed in leading from the front, as did Bill Boyle.  It
> > gave him a clear picture of how the battle was going so that his decisions
> > could be made immediately on his first hand view of the battlefield.  It
> > also demonstrated that he valued the lives of his troops as highly as he
> > valued his own. He was trained at the Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA.,
> > where at age 17 he became a "shavetail" second lieutenant.  The School's
> > watch word is "Follow Me".   Leading from the front was one of the reasons
> > General Rose is there in Margraten Cemetery.  The other reason was that he
> > had to depend on close air and artillery support to make up for the fact
> > that the German tanks were superior to the Sherman in fire power and
> > armament.  The Pershing tank came along at the end of the war as did the
> > recoilless rifle anti-tank  weapon, snow pack boots and a lot of other
> > good
> > equipment.  When his leading elements encountered heavy fire from the
> > Panzers and Tigers, he called in air support.  The Air Corps erroneously
> > reported that they had knocked out the enemy tanks.  Those Panzers and
> > Tigers led to his death and the destruction of the leading elements of the
> > 3rd Armored Division on March 30, 1945.
> > We of the 517th RCT are highly gratified that you have taken a keen
> > interest in Woody and our our other troopers who fell at Bergstein and
> > that
> > a Major General of  Rose's caliber lies there with them in that peaceful
> > well kept cemetery.
> > Thank you from all of us.  Howard Hensleigh
> >
> >
> >> [Original Message]
> >> From: Stevin Oudshoorn <stevin@basher82.nl>
> >> To: <hhensleigh@earthlink.net>
> >> Date: 1/22/2005 9:52:19 PM
> >> Subject: Capt Woodhull
> >>
> >> Dear Mr. Hensleigh.
> >>
> >> Thank you very much for your stories about Capt. Woodhull. You might have
> >> received this e-mail (or one similar) before, but as I have experienced
> >> problems with my mailserver it might never have reached you.
> >>
> >> I want to thank you for all your help and the trouble and time you have
> >> taken to tell me about him. I very much appreciate it. It means a lot to
> > me
> >> to get to know the men who gave their lives for our freedom AND those who
> >> fought and lived to tell about it. Your e-mails and stories told me a lot
> >> that I didn't know before.
> >>
> >> I have put Capt. Woodhull's story on-line at
> >> www.basher82.nl/Data/margraten/woodhull.htm If there are any errors I very
> >> much would like to hear about them. I hope this page is a fitting tribute to
> >> him and his sacrifice. If through some other avenue of investigation I might
> >> find some other information about him, I will of course let you know.
> >>
> >> I recently read the book NOT READY TO DIE about Nacho Vasques, who was with
> >> the Mortar platoon, Hq 3rd Battalion. Maybe the name rings a bell. You might
> >> know the book anyway. I hope to read a lot more about the 517th. Ben's
> >> website is amazing and I will get some books as well. I got a great
> >> response, thanks to Ben, who put my e-mail to him in the mailcall. I was
> >> amazed by the number of people who e-mailed me. They were able to tell me
> >> about some of the people of the 517th buried in Margraten and about their
> >> life in the 517th. I "grew up" with stories about the 82nd and 101st, not
> >> only because they fought in Holland, but they also took the "limelight" so
> >> to say. So little I know about the 517th or the 17 Abn Div. This is need to
> >> change as what I know now amazes me. The parajump in Southern France; I knew
> >> about it happening but nothing about what actually happened. By chance I got
> >> a book written by a veteran of the 36th Infantry Division, who was in
> >> DRAGOON, and he is full of praise for the paratroopers of 517.
> >>
> >> Mr. Hensleigh, Again thank you very much for all you help. If there is
> >> ANYTHING I can do for you, please don't hesitate to let me know. I will let
> >> you and Ben know when I have added the other 517 men to my website.
> >>
> >> Warm regards,
> >>
> >> Stevin