I don't place forwarded mail in Mail Call especially if it has attachments. I don't want to get a virus and pass it along to the 300 addresses in my address book.

Mail Call Ben517@aol.com

Mail Call Archives www.517prct.org/archives

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!

Pat Seitz and Allan Greer

Ben: We loved the picture of you at the computer doing the Mail Call. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. It gives us an even more personal, human image as we read Mail Call.

We also got a chuckle of the photos of Tom Cross!

Sincerely, Pat Seitz and Alan Greer

Tom Cross

Jim: Would you please send the photo and my comments to Ben Barrett. The photo brought back wonderful memories.

Regards, Tom

Walter Smith

Ben, what a depiction pictorially in mailcall #871 of our continuing existence. The side view of you at your computer desk really was a good one! Now, I have a more clear idea of your task and appearance. When and if I make it to the Georgia reunion, I may even recognize you. If your website son, who worked with me last year or so to transfer missing MailCalls to the website, is at the Georgia reunion. I hope to meet you both. .Very good of Tom Cross in a companion picture in #871. Nice 'cowboy' picture.

Walt Smith Hq1

Hi Ben,

Thanks for adding me to the 517 mail call list. While I was browsing the
mail call entries I came upon the attached picture with my father-in-law
(Tom Cross) in the background that was posted on the web site. We were
curious about the photo and talked with him about it over the phone last
night.

He followed up with an email about the photo that I thought you and other
517 folks might find interesting.....

Begin Tom's comments.....

An interesting picture that brings back wonderful memories of the early days in the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

This is the background information regarding this photo; It was a proud moment for the 2nd Battalion. We had just pulled into the Camp Mackall, NC Railhead after setting a significant record for the 2nd Battalion at the US Army Parachute School at Fort Benning, Georgia. Colonel Louis A. Walsh, our Regimental Commander, and Lt. Colonel Ike Walton, Regimental Executive Officer, met us as we detrained and the photo speaks for itself. We were glad to be home and appreciated Colonel Walsh and Lt. Colonel Walton's warm welcome and praise for a job well done.

The people in the Photo are: Left front is Colonel Walsh and immediately behind him is 1st Lt. Paul Lewis our 2nd Battalion Adjutant. Lt Colonel Dick Seitz, 2nd Battalion Commander is at Colonel Walsh's immediate left and next to him is Lt. Colonel Ike Walton and to the immediate rear of him is Major Tom Cross the 2nd Battalion Executive Officer. We all looked happy in this photo and that we were for it was nice to be home and to be appreciated.

End Tom's comments.....

Take care,

Jim Jennis

The photo is on our website under Photos of Col. Louis A. Walsh, First Regimental Commander of the 517th in the Training and WWII Photos

Excellent picture of you sitting in front of your computer in your computer room!!! Very nice of you to share it with the 517th members. Notice that you have all your medals framed. Our daughter and myself framed Floyd's which he didn't think was necessary but liked it in the end.

Just kidding -- are you a "neat freak" as they say and always have your desk looking that great or did you fix it up before the picture was taken???? Most of the time mine is in order because I can't stand a mess.

Hope you had a Happy Easter and all goes well for you going to the Palm Springs Reunion. We have attended several of them over the years and always enjoyed them. They really know how to put on a great

reunion.

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Now that my desk is looking that neat, I can't find anything.-Ben

Merle Traver

We have returned from our vacation in Lodi, California. Had a great time but it is good to be back home. Please place us on your email list again. Thank you, Myrle Traver F Co.