From: Ben517
Sent: Sat, 21 May 2005 7:07:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Subject: MAIL CALL NO. 904 517TH PRCT--MAY 21, 2005

Hello,
 
Those that have a problem playing the videos should try another computer such as one of a friend or the library.
 
Ben

Website                                  www.517prct.org
Mail Call                                  Ben517@aol.com
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Roster                                     www.517prct.org/roster.pdf

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

Howard Hensleigh
Note to Jean Loup Gassand
Your friend Marvin Moles was wounded at Manhay by the same P-38 bomb that killed Cleo Browning and wounded (loss of an arm) Fred Beyer. We took Manhay with two rifle companies–H and I. G Co. guarded Gen. Ridgeway’s CP. We were there from December 27, 1944 to January 1, 1945 when we were relieved and moved out to another hot spot. At Manhay the Air Force dropped only one bomb on us. That was one too many.
The Air Corps bombed us another time in S. France. The 3rd Bn. was drooped east of Callian, about 35 kilometers from our drop zone near le Muy. We were on a forced march on the way to join the rest of the Combat Team when an Air Force plane (I think another P-38) started to dive on us. Many yellow grenades were tossed to show we were US troops. We hit the ditches and there were no casualties. A sergeant remarked, "His aim was as poor as his judgment!"  HH

Roger Ervine
Video looks good ben

Juliana Stonis
Hi Ben,

The video was great! And having it to the Van Halen song "Jump" was so
perfect for it.

Thank you,
Juliana Stonis

David Knee
 
Good morning Ben,
 
We are moving tomorrow and I will be disconnecting the computer very shortly.  When we get to our new location, I will send our new e-mail address. This might be as long as 3-4 days. Thank you so much for all the e-mails that you send.  We would like to send another contribution, so I will be asking you for your address again.  Have a great week-end.
 
David Knee 
                                                             **********
Send contributions for the 517 PRCT to Bob Christie rjcx517@aol.com 390301 Blvd. Unit 10C, Bradenton, Fl. 34205
We don't accept contributions for the website or Mail Call . However, we will accept contributions of emails for Mail Call.
 
Ben

Irene Franck-Bartlett
 
Hi Ben,

I'm with Lud.
I'm from Belgium, and I live here in the US.  My name is Irene Franck and I'm 45.  My daughter is visiting from Belgium and we are having a nice party at Lud's granddaughter in West Chester Pennsylvania.  Lud asked me to write something about myself and my daughter.  I was born in Brussels in 1959.  My father lost his father in WWI and served in WW2 (he was in his early thirties during WW2).  My mother was in Poland during WW2, and from what I heard, it was really tough.  After the war, she went to live in Belgium where she met my dad.  Would you please include me in your mail call. 
Here's my Email address :
SteveIrene@comcast.net
I am going to graduate tomorrow from nursing school with Lud's granddaughter
Tyler.
It is a real pleasure to meet Lud, he's a very interesting guy.  Picture
will follow.
It's hard for me to believe Lud.......
Best regards,

Irene Franck-Bartlett

Gene Frice
 
Ben,
     Reference # 903 and Howard Hensleigh"s response to Fred Bayer about the coastal guns.
     Yes, in that portion of Southern France, above Sospel, we did receive naval support. We received little on the way from the valleys and hills from LeMuy to Levens and Luceram.
     In the area before (and above Sospel) we were close enough to the coast to receive that support. That was the area around Col de Braus, which was about 10-20m from the coast (an effective range for the naval guns). On a number of occasions, on the ridge above Col de Braus, and later on hill 1098, we heard the shells passing overhead, and on several occasions I actually saw the shells as they passed over. They sounded like bath tubs passing over with both faucets on and the drain pulled. The shells were not directed at the enemy immediately to our front, but to the several forts on the hills before us, and above Sospel. It was most fortunate that at least on that occasion there were no short rounds as they passed nearly overhead.
     However, on the receiving end the heavy artillery and mortors of the forts took a toll on our company on 1098. I had heard that we received no casualties on 1098-wrong
. Pvt's Pacey, Sherman, Shanefelt and Thomas were all KIA's on and the vicinity of 1098.
     We have visited the forts several times in recent years. On the sides of the forts we saw the efforts of the naval fire and the P-51's to damage the forts. I saw no damage and bombs and naval fire likely only woke our enemy up from a nap.  Craters exist today on the side of the forts and it appeared that there was no penetration. Those forts were well built. It was the wrong generation of weapons that were deployed.
     That must have been pretty good duty for those krauts. It was most interesting to go the many stories down into the system to see how well they were constructed.