Oct 7-9, 2005
January 22-25, 2006
Bradenton, FL
Prop Blast covers: Dec 1943, May 1945 (VE)
E Company at Toccoa 1943
C.B. Jones and E Co at Toccoa
Name: Charlotte Boedeker Walters
Unit: D Company 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment
EMail: allsportallstars@aol.com
How I found the 517th page: Other
Comments: My Dad, Frederick William (Billy) Boedeker was a member of D Company of the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment from 1943-1945. Is there anyone from D company who remembers him. Or is there anyone who could tell me the particulars of the D company experience during WWII ?
My Dad, Bud Curtis has been in Salt Lake City visiting me for the past 4 days. We have spent some real quality time going over a photo album that had been misplaced for 10 years of pictures he took while in the 517th. I do not know if you are interested in me scanning the pictures and sending to you, but I will if you would like to have them for the web site? Also we found a September 1943 Thunderbolt relating how the 2nd and 3rd Battalions had just completed jump school. Are you interested in this newspaper? Dad would also like to know if anyone out there is in contact with Joe Sumpter? He was in HQ, 1st Bn with Dad.
Just a little side note, when I took him to the airport this morning at 0500 hours (Oct 4, 2005), I asked if he would like me to get someone to drive him to the gate in one of those golf carts. His reply to me was if he could walk all over Italy, France, Belgium, and Germany he could walk to the gate. He did and I was very proud of him. He still is "AIRBORNE" all the way.
Lory Curtis, son of Bud Curtis, HQ, 1st Bn
Good to hear from you
Lory
Name: Reta Hare
Unit:
EMail: riverladyblue54@yahoo.com or Harehardy4@aol.com
How I found the 517th page: Other
Comments: my uncle, Melvin Verser Weeks, was in the 517th parachute regimental combat team prct, WWII. he was known as Doc Weeks in Harrisburg, Arkansas where he lived, he deceased. I am looking for any information about him. I am really glad to find this site. thank you for any help.
I spoke to Mrs. Archer last night, very nice lady, we had a great
conversation. She said they were expecting my call and will send the
information they gathered. Thank you again.
Michelle
I was hoping that either you or
one of the mail call recipients could help me out by possibly answering a few
questions.
I’ve attached two photos. One is of a trooper who has what looks
like a leather helmet on. In the
book “Battling Buzzards”, it mentions that paratroopers
originally wore “a modified football helmet”. I was wondering if this was what this
trooper was wearing. Was this
hat/helmet originally intended to be worn in combat, or was it just for practice
jumps?
The other photo has bugged me
for a long time. While going
through my Dad’s photos, I noticed on the back of this picture was written the
word “sad” in my Dad’s handwriting. In the photos that Morris McDowell sent
in for Mr. Athey, there is a picture of Walter Friebel (KIA France). I thought the picture I’ve attached might
be Walter Friebel. Hopefully
someone will know who this person is.
