2005 Biennial Reunion
August 15-19, 2005
Savannah, GA

Registration due before July 10, 2005!

517th Mail Call

Scott Atkinson

Ben & Randy,

Here are a few pictures that John Lyons and I took last Thursday of Randolph Coleman and myself with Randolph. He was a great friend and I will miss seeing him.

Scott

Marie Rommel

Dear Ben-

Please express my sympathy to the family of Randolph Coleman "F" Co. His letters and emails were of great comfort to Walt in his time of illness. His expression of sympathy at Walt's passing was of comfort to our family. I will remember his family in my prayers for he was truly a great soldier and friend.

Marie Rommel (Walter Rommel-F Co)

Howard Hensleigh

Note to Lory Curtis:

Dick Spencer designed these Christmas Cards. This one was reproduced by regiment on a V-Mail letter sheet. I’m not sure how V-mail worked. We were encouraged to use it, because it took less shipping space to send and went faster than regular mail. The recipient did not receive the actual paper that was mailed, but got a reproduction in the mail. The Christmas card was available for anyone in the outfit to use. We must have sent them out early, because we we were busy that Christmas with things other than opening presents, or mail. Dick made a special one for me. He pictured me in a jump suit with a Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass in my hand. My card had a big S-2 on it as I was the 3^rd Bn. S-2 supposedly looking for evidence of the enemy with my magnifying glass.

Dick’s daughter, BJ, who was born a few days after our S. France jump, and her mother, Jo, are still on Mail Call. Dick was a talented writer and cartoonist who later edited the "Western Horseman". He designed the 517^th, 460^th, and 596 emblems that the riggers duplicated in parachute silk and hung from the ship in which we sailed into NY harbor. We sometimes call these patches, but they were never recognized officially. Dick wrote the booklet describing the Italian campaign where he introduced the moniker "Battling Buzzards" that sticks with us to this day. He was a good friend of Russ Miller, ERV Pinkston and me as we all had attended Iowa U and were in advanced ROTC. As you can see Dick left his imprints on the 517^th.

All the way, Howard Hensleigh

PS to Lory Curtis: I am quite sure these were sent from Europe--Christmas, 1944. HH

Jay Sutcliffe

Mr. Barrett,

Could you please post these pictures on the Mail call too, if anyone knows who these people are I would really appreciate letting me know. I have a feeling one is Woodie Kennamer D Company. Thanks a lot!

Thanks

Tom Reber

Ben,

An interesting and notable viewpoint by another Ben...

I hope you and yours are well.

Regards,

Tom Reber

Monday Night at Morton's - 12/20/03 - Page 1 of 3

Lory Curtis

My father and I send our deepest sympathies to the Randolph Coleman family. My dad, Bud Curtis, was initially assigned in “F” Company when he reported to Camp Toccoa. I know he served with Randolph in “F” Company in those early training years of 1943. Randolph Coleman was a great American Hero, and will be missed. God Bless him and his family.

Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1^st BN