Dear Ben:
Yesterday I was in touch with two old troopers. Actually, I
called Frank Dallas (I Co.) and talked with Frank’s wife. Frank was on a
"vacation" hosted by the Kiwanis Club. The Dallas family will be at Savannah.
One daughter is a colonel; another daughter is married to a retired colonel and
his son retired as a Lt. Col. Like Frank, they took to the Service as ducks to
water. Mom and Dad reluctantly missed Oklahoma City to attend graduations of
grandchildren.
I also talked with our Medal of Honor recipient, Mel Biddle.
As I recall, Mel lived near an I Co. man for many years without their knowing
about each other or their mutual connection – the 517th. Mel referred
to his Indiana neighbor as "Dead Eye", nomenclature he picked up in the
517th for good shooting. Frank was no slouch at that sport himself,
having brought home the venison himself as a young PA hunter. This practice
served him well in the 517th. Rene Benoit told me once that Frank and
his M1 had saved his neck whenever he got in a tough spot. He sometimes yelled,
"Benoit keep your head down until I yell all clear." Dead Eye went to OKC for a
number of reasons, but mainly to reconnect with Frank for the first time since
WWII. I relayed the information that Dead Eye would be at Savannah to Mrs.
Dallas. I do not know just who Dead Eye is, but Frank will know. These two
members of the I Co. admiration society will get together at Savannah.
That is what reunions are all about.
See you there, Howard Hensleigh
Phil McSpadden
Dear Mike... by way of introduction, I am a good
friend of Howard Huebner, who gave me a copy of your e-mail to him of 5/20
regarding Lt Chuck Willis. I was a member of the 460th Parachute Artillery
from April 1943 until I was discharged in November 1945. The 460th was a
part of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team. The 517th was a part
of the 17th Airborne Division from inception, removed from the 17th as a combat
team in April 1944, sent to Italy in May 1943, jumped in Southern France on
August 15th, 1944, and later was one of the first units moved to the front for
the Battle of the Bulge. The Combat Team was attached to so many
different units while overseas it was difficult to keep track of all of
them, but did become a part of the 13th Airborne Division for our return to the
States. I have checked our rosters and do not find a Lt. Chuck
Willis. However, the 517th has a very active organization still
in contact, and will have a big reunion in Savannah, GA in August of this year,
and will include many friends from France and Belgium at that Reunion. I
am going to give you some addresses to contact, and they will post your
inquiries on their Mail Call, and if anyone has any information whatsoever, they
will respond... so, please contact the following:
MailCallArchives:
You will find everyone in this organization eager to
help, and includes not only the vets from the original 517th, but their family
and friends as well, and they will welcome you and provide what info is
available... I wish I could be of more help, but hopefully the infantry side can
provide you the data you seek. Phil McSpadden
Morris McDowell
Hey Ben,
Yes, I plan to come to the reunion with my wife,
& I pass on information to Fred from time to time. He has a Nephew that has
a computer, & I suggested he get on the web site, & communicate with
everyone, but he has not done that as of now. I look forward to meeting you in
Savanna. My Father worked in Savanna in a shipyard during the war, one of the
first ships that sank in the Normandy invasion was one he had help build. The
name was the USS Tide, a mine sweeper. Take care, & thanks for your hard
work on the mail call. Morris McDowell
**********
Morris is a friend of Fred Harmond "H" Co. and a cousin
of Layton Pippin who was KIA by the same German artillery round that
wounded 17 of us in the 3rd Bn. Jan. 5, 1945. Morris
was in the 30th Armored Div. Tn, National Guard and is a good friend of the
517 - Ben