2005 Biannual Reunion August 15-19, 2005 Savannah, GA Registration due before July 10, 2005!

Dear Ben: Here is a PS.

President Bush and the Dutch Queen honored Woody Woodhull, our 460^th forward observer, and our other men killed at Bergstein by laying wreaths at that beautiful cemetery in the Netherlands. We will never forget them.

You learn something every time you talk to a trooper. I knew that Lud Gibbons was a champion wrestler. He proved that to me in Italy and again when he and Mel Zais took the wind out of two Rangers’ sails one evening outside a Paris night club. They challenged the 517^th to prove its mettle and ended up on the short end of the stick. Lud was New Jersey high school wrestling champ twice, as a sophomore and and as a senior. He gives his coach the credit for the wins. He does not credit the coach for the loss in his junior year. He says he made a mistake–not the coach. That is the kind of a guy Lud is – the kind composing the 517^th.

The Secretary of Defense also was a high school wrestling champ. He is a graduate of Yale where he captained the wrestling and footfall teams. He became a Navy pilot, but would have made a good trooper. He was on a scholarship at Yale. Other Yale students paid to watch him do one armed push ups to earn a little extra cash. Today Yale has sued the Secretary. Congress passed a law allowing the Secretary to withhold federal grants from schools that discriminate against the JAG by refusing to allow JAG to recruit graduating law students on campus as all other prospective employers do. Yale has made its statement. The school maintains that the law takes away its constitutional right of free speech to denounce the Defense Department’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy. I wonder if anyone ever considered that Congress also has a right to free speech. I think they made a statement.

Howard Hensleigh

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Jay Sutcliffe

Mr. Barrett
Thanks for replying on your website.  I got so lost in what I was
writing that I forgot to put in my complete e-mail address.

I saw in the website that you were also in "H" Company.  This has been a
major topic of conversation in our house.  I actually printed out the
entire "517 Paratroopers' Odyssey" for my mom to read.  She has no idea
how to operate a computer.

We are completely flabbergasted by the fact that my Dad spoke so little
about the war.  I know he received a paratrooper newspaper and he wore a
paratrooper bracelet, and carried photos of war buddies in his wallet.
Other than that he didn't mention much.  My father-in-law was also in
the service during WWII (Marines), I don't think he even left the
country.  When I mentioned to him that my dad fought in the Battle of
the Bulge.  He started to tell me how nasty it was, and what the solders
had to put up with, I had no idea how crazy it was.

I have a lot questions, but I'll spare you, and ask 2;
Is the documentary "Band of Brothers" about the 517
And in the 517 Paratroopers' Odyssey it mentioned that "H" company was
in a house that a bomb went into, the bomb never went off.  Do you know
if my father was in that building?

Thank you so much
Jay

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Jim Royer

 

Ben, Reservations made for June and me to Savannah in August. Hotel
reservations made at the hotel. Now, all we are waiting for is to see
everyone real soon .  Also sent my check to Bob for our  visitors from
France and Belgium.
I am one of the Troopers who does not remember receiving a certificate
from Jump School. If anyone is able to help us, Gene is the one. 
So sorry to hear about Leo. Serving with him, as a board member, has
been both an honor and a privilege. We will keep him in our prayers.
                         Airborne forever,
                                Jim Royer, Hq.3rd.

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Dick Seitz

 

Becky Martinette

 

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New email address

 

Cecil Doty------------------------acdoty@netzero.com

John Pastalenic---------------dpastalenic@infoblvd.net

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Lory Curtis