Ben:
The following paragraphs
contain my comments and recommendations that I wish to present prior to our
arrival at the 517 PRCT Reunion in Savannah. It is my desire that they be
considered and acted upon at the Thursday, August 18 Business
Meeting.
This message is based on my
experience as an active member of our Association having served as a past
President of the Association and now in my final term year on the Board of
Directors.
I feel that we are at a
critical point as to when and how we will terminate our Association and properly
dispose of our remaining Funds and Historical Assets and when. It is a matter
that must be initiated at this Reunion and a decision
reached as soon as possible. It is at this point that I desire to state that I
would like to have my name placed in Nomination for Vice President of the
Association so that I am able to fully participate, as well as influence, the
actions described above.
My comments and recommendations
for the resolution of this situation is as follows:
1. ANNUAL REUNIONS
It is now time to decide
whether or not we should have a National Annual Reunion or continue the present
practice of one every two years.
Comment: Time is no longer a friend of the 517
PRCT. The rate loss of old comrades are accelerating because of age and illness.
If it is our purpose to continue to meet regularly and stay together as a unit
and retain our enthusiasm with maximum attendance for these meetings then an
Annual Reunion offers us this opportunity to do so.
Recommendation: That the Association Members
approve Annual Reunions that continue to include family members as well as
Friends of the 517 PRCT. This should not preclude separate mini geographical
oriented reunions by volunteer individuals at no cost to the 517 PRCT
Fund.
2. PERMANENT LOCATION FOR NATIONAL
REUNIONS
Comment: The current practice, regardless of
time or place, requires volunteers to organize and manage each Reunion.
This will
increase in difficulty as time passes. Alternate plans as well as personnel will
have to be selected to replace the original volunteers in the event that the
original volunteers are unable to perform or handle the scheduled Reunion
functions due to illness or other unforeseen causes. This situation applies
whether the Reunions are one or two years apart. It is to our advantage to have
a pre selected Reunion site where assistance by recognized professional and
trained agencies are available if desired. The Association can appoint a
Committee to overview or operate this function
Recommendation: That Annual Reunions be approved
at the Savannah Reunion and a Permanent Reunion Committee be selected overview
this function. Committee Members could include both Association and Family
Members.
3. SELECTION OF LOCATION FOR PERMANENT REUNION
SITE
Comment: In the past we have tried to
accommodate Association Members by having the National Reunions at different
geographic locations. Under the scenario presented above this appears not to be
a viable option for the future. It is suggested that we return to
our
" Paratrooper Roots" and select an
airborne military installation such as Fort Benning, Georgia or Fort Bragg,
North Carolina as this site. The 517 PRCT took its initial airborne training at
Fort Benning and that is where we started our airborne careers. A Military
Affairs Office is available at both military installations to help plan and
schedule airborne and similar events of interest to our Association Members,
Families and Friends. Veteran Airborne Units are always welcome at these
Airborne Military Installations. I personally favor Fort Benning for the reason
indicated above. I am receiving the latest information on hotels, shopping and
other places of interest prior to our Reunion and this information will be
available at Savannah. There is sufficient hotel space to accommodate us at one
hotel instead of being split as was the case at our last Reunion in that area.
There are new shopping areas that will be of interest as well as events that too
will be of interest.
Recommendation: I recommend Fort Benning as our
first choice and the secondary location to be Fort Bragg.The possibility
exists that we could alternate the use if these sites.
4.REUNION COMMITTEE
Comment: A Joint Committee composed of Regular
Association Members and the Auxiliary Association Members (As described in
Howard Hensleigh's previous Memorandum) should be formed and tasked to
develop procedures, recommendations and other such details as necessary to
execute, with the assistance of local Military Affairs as well
as Civil Organizations, the planning an execution of our National Reunions
whether they be Annual or otherwise.
Recommendation: That a Joint Reunion Committee,
as described above, be formed at the Savannah Reunion and be tasked to
execute our National Reunions as described above.
5.FINAL DISPOSITION OF
517 PRCT ASSOCIATION RECORDS, FUNDS AND WEB SITE
Recommendation: A Committee, to include both
Ben and Bob Barrett, should be formed to plan for the time, manner and transfer
of the 517 PRCT Web Site to an appropriate U.S. Army Museum or similar type
organization. Conditions and time of transfer to be recommended by this
Committee to the President and Officers of the 517 PRCT Association. The new
Museum at Fort Benning and the Airborne and Special Operations Museum at Fort
Bragg/ Fayetteville are the Museums of choice. These agencies should be
capable of maintaining our present capability to receive and record historical
data of interest to the 517 PRCT. All funds existing at the time of transfer
will be assigned/donated to the location of choice and be dedicated for specific
use of and maintenance of the 517 PRCT Web Site for historical
purposes.
6. AFTERMATH
Who knows? As long we are a "Band of Brothers" we can
always meet at places of our own choosing and times knowing full well that our
historical legacy is sustained over by kin and friends when we finally reach our
Assembly Area in the Big Drop Zone at last.
God Bless You All
Regards, Tom Cross
Ronald Stassen
Dear
Webmaster,
My name is Ronald.
I
adopted a grave on the War Cemetery Margraten, at The Netherlands. The grave i
adopted belongs to Robert P Woodhull, Captain from
the 460th Field Artillery Bn that was part of the
17th Airborne Division. But when they left for combat on the ETO he was attached
to the 517th PIR.
His registration-number
is O-388043 . Date of death 7th of february 1945. The State
he's bin born is Ohio. He earned a Bronze Star and a Purple heart
medal.
That's about all the information i have!
Can perhaps anybody
give me more information about this soldier?
I would appreciate it a
lot.
I also have a website as a
tribute to all the US Paratroopers.
Howard Hensleigh
Dear Roland:
Thank you for your interest and
thank you for adopting Woody's grave. He was a brave soldier and deserves
your devotion. The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team, was composed of
the 517th Infantry Regiment, the 460th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (of
which Woody was a member), and the 596th Company of combat engineers. All
of those units were part of the 17th Airborne Division up through Tennessee
maneuvers. All were then pulled out to form the Combat Team, shipped to
Italy where we fought in the Rome-Arno campaign, then the
invasion of S. France on Aug 15, 1944. After almost 100 days on the line
in S. France where we pushed the Germans back into Italy, we shipped to N.
France in 40 and 8s and into the Bulge. Woody was killed at Bergstein
Germany right beside me as we were directing artillery to assist in the
attack.
Stevin Oudshoom has been in
touch with us regarding Woody. We have sent him additional information.
Can you contact him?
Howard Hensleigh
Bob Dalrymple
Dear Howard. Splendid report and I thank
you for it. Also, I thank you for leading us so meaningfully during your "tour
of duty: All of us have been benefactors of your wise and positive decisions,
especially with respect to the soon-to-be Auxiliary . Will miss being with all
the troopers and their kin at Savannah, but Garnet and I will be there in spirit
.We are fortunate to have missed only one reunion since 1981, that one was in
Albany . God Bless . In A/BBL Bob
Tom McAvoy
Hey Ben What ever happened to growing old peacefully? I am
scheduled
for my 4th operation this year on August 1st. My
goodness. Tom McAvoy