From: Ben517@aol.com
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2001 12:31 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Mail Call NO. 98
Hello,
Last "Mail Call" was sent out by mistake. Didn't have time to censor, edit or
check spell check. Could have been worse. Sometimes I hit the wrong key and
lose everything.
We now have eighty-eight members and friends on our email roster. Hope to
double that at the Bismarck reunion.
Ben

Website -------   members.aol.com/prct517/

____________________________________________________--
Entry of Apr 28, 2001 at 21:36 [EST]
Name: Donald E. Boatright
Unit: Company G, 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 13th Airborne Division
ETO
EMail: wmj.camp@wpmlegal.com
How I found the 517th page: From a search engine
Comments: Donald Boatright served with the 517th from May 31, 1944 until
August 1, 1945. Recently I assisted him in obtaing for him his Bronze Star
for service in World War II. He also received the Purple Heart for wounds
received on December 17, 1944. He and his wife, Mildred, are retired and live
at 175 Smith Chapel Road, Bowdon GA 30108. They had two children, Jimmy D.
Boatright, who is an Insurance Salesman for Liberty National, and Malinda
Boatright (to whom I am married), who is the Youth Center Director at Robins
AFB GA in Warner Robins GA. Donald and Mildred's telephone number is
770-258-7383. He has many wonderful stories of his service with the 517th.
Donald doesn't do email, but you may correspond with him through me and I
will pass your message along. This is a wonderful Web Site and reflects the
esprit de corps of this fine combat unit. HATS OFF to your hard work and
pride.
____________________________________________________________
Subj: Re: Mail Call
Date: 4/28/2001 10:37:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: artann3447@juno.com (Tom mcavoy)
To: Ben517@aol.com

Sure glad to see someone else screws up once in a while besides myself,
looking forward to meeting you in Bismarck Ben   Tom McAvoy
_______________________________________________________________
Subj: Another deceased trooper
Date: 4/28/2001 12:31:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: JNTURCO
To: MMcmor8391
CC: Ben517

Hi Merle and Ben,
Ray Hess just informed me of the death of Dan Rotundo. He was in my Battery A
460th. I tried to connect with Dan a few years ago even with a phone call. He
seemed very happy to hear from me but after a long letter from me, I never
heard from him again. I would have had so much to talk to him about as were
together after the Southern France Invasion. It is too bad that we can't seem
to keep more of our 460th guys interested. Now of course the old age has
caught up so many could not travel at this time. I thank Ray for letting me
know.
Best wishes, Leo Turco
___________________________________________________________________-
Subj: Re: Mail Call
Date: 4/28/2001 7:36:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: CackyG
To: Ben517

In a message dated 04/28/2001 9:08:40 AM Central Daylight Time, Ben517 writes:

<<
Mail Call N0. 97 was sent out by mistake. Incomplete. Clicked wrong icon. So
will make it do.
Ben >>

This has happened to Cathy and me many times. Don't worry about any mistakes
you make with mail call. People are very glad to be getting it. Send as
many pages as you like as often as you like. If peoples mailservers only
allow for so much mail, then I suggest they check into other servers. You do
what is easiest for you and the rest of us will make do.

Dot
_______________________________________________________Subj: Donald E.
Boatright, Company G, 517th
Date: 4/28/2001 10:24:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: wmj.camp@wpmlegal.com (John Camp)
To: Ben517@aol.com, MMcmor8391@aol.com

Gentlemen:

My Father-in-Law is Donald E. Boatright. He served with Company G of the
517th. I found his name on your Web Site under G2 of the 1944 Christmas
Greeting.

On September 5, 2000, by Permanent Order 249-01, Donald E. Boatright was
awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Achievement for his service in ETO.
I will be mailing Mr. McMorrow a copy of the Order and his Citation to
Accompany the Award by mail.

Once you verify his assignment to the 517th and the award of the Bronze Star,
would you be so kind as to add his name to your List of Individual
Decorations and Awards.

He was also awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on December 17,
1944. I am enclosing a copy of his DD Form 214 showing the award of this
decoration. When you compile your list of Purple Heart Recipients, please be
certain to include his.

I am also asking Mr. McMorrow to send me the necessary application to assist
Mr. Boatright in joining the 517 PRCT Association.

Please also add him to the mailing list of the Thunderbolt.   His mailing
address is :

Donald E. Boatright
175 Smith Chapel Road
   Bowdon GA 30108

   Telephone: 770-258-7383

Thank you in advance for your assistance and kindness. Your Web Site is a
wonderful tribute to the many fine Veterans of the 517th.

Sincerely,

Wm. J. Camp
Lt Col USAF, JAG (Retired)
____________________________________________________________________
Subj: Re: Information Request
Date: 4/28/2001 10:55:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: WWyatt4880
To: Ben517

Ben receive e-mail requesting the following info, One of our members lives in
Wales and attended the fort Benning reunion and I am sure this is info Merle
would want. Last word we receive from him was that he was all layed up and
could just write short notes. Address is ; Mr & Mrs Daniel Harris, 169
Gate Road. Penygroses, Lianelli. South Wales, SA 147 RW UK. Bud Wyatt
_________________________________________________________________________Subj:

Peter Sturgeon
Date: 4/27/2001 9:04:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: BoomBoomAlicki
To: Ben517

His address is: Boltzmanngasse 17/84
                           1090 Wien
                             Austria


Boom Boom
This is the address of Peter Sturgeon.
______________________________________________________________________
Subj: Re: Guestbook
Date: 4/29/2001 2:11:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: wmj.camp@wpmlegal.com (John Camp)
To: Ben517@aol.com

Thank you so very much. I am very excited about this for him. He and I have
shared many stories of his WWII experience. When I was assigned to Bitburg
Germany in the late 1970's, he came and visited for several weeks. We
visited Normandy...he had heard a lot of it and after visiting was glad he
avoided it during the War. We went toe LTG Patton's Memorial in Luxembourg
and up to Stavalot and Malmady. The old Church Abby where they had their HQ
was still in Stavlot as a tribute to those who fought. He shared a story of
while fighting in Stavlot, that it was the dead of winter and snow covered
the ground. One of his buddies dove into a ditch to avoid gun fire and fell
upon a young girl of about 16 or 17 with blond hair. She had been mortally
wounded and had frozen in the ditch. Donald and the other soldier did not
know what to do with her. They covered her up with branches and snow and
came back after the fighting quieted. They picked her up and carried her to
Abby in hopes someone would claim her body. He also told of fighting in
Italy and in need of something to help carry the mortar, found some Straight
Legs with a jackass (he recalled it was hard to tell them apart). They did
not wish to part with the jackass without something. Donald recalled
entering a shelled out home and seeing an uncorked keg of wine. He and his
buddy went and retrieved it and swapped the keg of wine for the jackass. He
recalls it was a deal that everyone appreciated. The Straight Legs failed to
appreciate the value of the jackass and were happy to get the wine; Donald
and his friend was glad to have the company of the jackass and its help in
hauling the mortar; and, the jackass was ABSOLUTELY THRILLED to be free of
the Straight Legs, from whom it feared the worst possible assault!

If you email me, I will copy and send them via snail mail to Mr. Boatright.
If his health and travel permits, I would love to take him to one of the
reunions.

My very warmest regards and appreciation for your sacrifice.

John Camp
Donal Boatright G Co. is father in law to John Camp
Ben
_____________________________________________________-
Subj: Re: Donald E. Boatright, Company G, 517th
Date: 4/29/2001 2:12:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: wmj.camp@wpmlegal.com (John Camp)
To: Ben517@aol.com

Will see what he may be able to do.   Health has not been good this year. So
he may not be able to attend this year. Will see if he can do a video and
mail it to you.

Thanks again
____________________________________________________
Subj: Statistics
Date: 4/29/2001 9:37:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: AARGoodman@cs.com
To: Ben517
   Hi Ben
I mentioned before that none of the citations of the 596 were
listed . If you have access to the 13th Airborne History published in the
forties in hardback you will find chapters on each of our units in the combat
team.The 13th was record and paper happy and did not approve of the way we
did not keep up our paper work but they did a good job with this book. Their
records are not complete as they only include those who were trqnsferred into
the 13th and not those who left because of injury or death or other reason
prior to joining them. What they do list is more than you have in the
citations now. The 460 and the 596 citations at that time according to their
records are listed by rank etc. Let me know if you do not have their book and
I will either bring my copy to Bismarck or photo copy the pages on the units
in our combat team.   Regards Al Goodman P.S. I think they also do not
include those awards that came thru after most of us left the 13th and went
to the 82nd and on to Berlin
______________________________________________________________________-Subj:
Re: Mail Caall NO. 97
Date: 4/30/2001 12:55:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Genesir
To: Ben517

Ben,
Continue to read "mail call," with great interest. As with some of us, we
may not know the individual who wrote or who was the topic of the
mail-however, our band of brothers-we have an interest in every word. I have
been getting the mail without a problem, as far as I know.
On mail call 96, I read with special interest as it related to a number
of the F Co, KIA. I was not in a spot to respond at the time and could add
little to Ray Hess's excellent work. I can add about Joseph O'Brien. He was
in fact one of the first to die that morning of 15 Aug. He was later buried
in the cemetery at our drop zone
At his mothers request, I subsequently brought him home. My Special
Forces A Det men were his honor detail. He currently rests in the US Military
Cemetary, San Mateo, CA. About 25 feet from where Joe rests, is my Special
Forces executive officer (who was on that detail for Joe and was later killed
in Nam). That is another story of a another great hero. Where does it end ??
Looking to see all in Bismarck. All drive and fly safely.

John Camp

>>> <Ben517@aol.com> 04/29/01 09:52AM >>>
Hello John,
We would like to have Donald attend our reunion on May 20.
Details are on the website or I can send necessary information.
Ben
_______________________________________________________Subj: Re: Guestbook
Date: 4/29/2001 2:30:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: wmj.camp@wpmlegal.com (John Camp)
To: Ben517@aol.com

Wonderful. I think he looks for excuses to come to Florida in the Winter so
that will work out.

Thanks again.

John

I suggested to John that if Donald can't make the Bismarck reunion , to try
to come to the mini in Florida where Ed and Bob take good care of everyone.
Ben