Pvt. Harry A. Hill, B Company, 517 PRCT

My Grandfather was Harry A. Hill, B Company. He passed away March 8, 1989. I’ve been digging through some of his old things, making copies of photographs, etc. I’d like to document as many items as possible and make copies to give to family members and friends who would like them. I’ve been having trouble with a lot of the photos and other things I’ve run across from his days with the 517^th. Talking with my grandmother about them, she has only been able to help with a few things. I was wondering if it would be possible to send you some high quality scans of these for you to post on the site in hopes that someone out there could help me with some of the identification. There are lots and lots of photos (apparently he had a camera with him everywhere he went), publications, receipts, memos, etc. [...] Also, if anyone out there remembers my grandpa, I’d love to hear from you and send copies of the photos if you’d like them.

The following is a list of the file names of all the scans and a quick summary of what I know (or don’t know) about each one. If there’s no explanation, that means I really don’t know anything about it. My grandfather was known for, frankly, raising a little hell now and then during the war. He was also known for working hard and being a really nice guy. He was born and raised in the mountains of Montana, and I’m sure he felt right at home in a tent or a foxhole. His friends used to call him Handsome Harry. They’d joke with him and say that when the Germans were shooting at them that he should jump out of his fox hole and tell them to stop. They said the Germans would say, “Why we can’t shoot him. That’s Handsome Harry. He’s too handsome to shoot.”

My grandpa’s best friend from the war was William “Bill” Brannan who was also in the 517th. He’s still alive, living in California and I correspond with him a couple of times a year. My grandma could only remember one other man’s name. She said that he went by the nickname “Dog” Jordan. She thought his first name was Edmund.

My grandpa never really talked about the war, the 517th or any of his friends from back then. He joked about his purple heart, though. He told me that he got it when a shell (or something) hit a tree and a splinter of wood hit him in the butt. Knowing my grandpa, this could be the truth or something he thought he’d tell me because he thought it was funny. So I really have no idea how he got his purple heart or really anything about his time with the 517th. He did, though, carry a camera everywhere he went. All my grandma has left (other than his purple heart) is a photo album and a shoe box full of things (almost all of which I scanned and I’m sending to you). She has his old uniform in her basement, but there are no patches or medals on it. Do you know if there’s a way for me to find out what patches/medals he may have earned and if there is a way for me to get replacements?

Bill Brannan’s daughter lives about 2 hours from me. He wrote to me at Christmas and told me that he and his wife are planning a trip to see her in June. I’m hoping to make it there to visit with him and talk to him about some of this stuff. For the past couple of years I’ve been working on a DVD to pass on to family members about my grandpa. I haven’t had much time lately, but I was laid off in January and it’s not looking like I’ll find a job any time soon. I figured I’d make good use of the time and work on the DVD, so any help that you or anyone else can give me would be very much appreciated.

[PS: I also found out that Bill Brannan, whom I mentioned in the letter, was known during the war as William “Bill” Wayland. He changed his last name after the war to Brannan.]

-- Click on photos to enlarge --
	Grandpa 03 – This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 04 – This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when
	Grandpa 05 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when
	Grandpa 06 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 07 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 08 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 10 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when. My grandma told me that “he had been seeing this little French girl for a while. He sent me this picture but I notice he carefully cut her out of it.”
	Grandpa 11 – I think this is my grandfather. Not sure where/when. It could be one of his friends, though. It’s hard to tell from this picture.
	Grandpa 12 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 13 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 14 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 15 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 17 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 18 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 19 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 20 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 21 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 22 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Grandpa 23 - This is my grandfather. Not sure where/when.
	Group – This is a large photo that he sent home to his mom.
	517th 01 – This is the cover (all that is left) of what appears to be, possibly, a yearbook type thing.
	517th 02 – This is the inside cover of the previous scan with signatures.
	517th Pass Card 01 – The front side of a pass.
	517th Pass Card 02 – The back side of the above scan.
	AEF Club Pass & Key Stub – I’m assuming this is some sort of hotel key/room number slip?
	Benefits – This appears to be a list of the benefits received by soldiers dated 12/12/45.
	Bombed House Cellar Inn Card – I’m not sure if this is a business card, a receipt or both.
	Christmas Greetings – Christmas Greetings 09 – This is a fold-out card. Each section is attached to the other so that it folds out in one long chain.
	Class B Pass 01 – I’m assuming this is another pass?
	Class B Pass 02 – Class B Pass 06 – More of the above pass. It folds out in several sections.
	Courtesy Pass Card – Another pass?
	Epaulet Straps 01 – These look German to me, but I could be wrong. I’m not even sure that this is what they are.
	Epaulet Straps 02 – The back side of the above scan.
	Foxhole 03 – This is my grandfather in a foxhole.
	German Money 01 – I’m assuming that this is what this is.
	German Money 02 – Another piece like the above scan.
	Germany 01 – This is my grandfather with two children. He always loved kids. I’m don’t know who they are or where it was taken. My grandmother seems to think it was probably Germany.
	Germany Clipping 01 –
	Hotel Card – Looks like a business card for a hotel?
	Hotel du Dome Card 01 – Looks like a business card for a hotel?
	Independence Day –
	Leave Pass – Self explanatory?
	Marching 01 – This looks like it may be a photo that he purchased rather than took himself. There were two together, though, like you see in the scan.
	Marching 02 – Same as the above scan, only slightly different pictures.
	Match Holder 01 – This is made of metal and appears to me to be a holder for a box of matches.
	Match Holder 02 – This is the “spine” of the above scan.
	Match Holder 03 – This is the back of the above scan.
	Memo 01 – Memo regarding dress code when on leave.
	Memorial 01 – Memorial 04 – Each page of a booklet that was in his shoebox of things he saved.
	Memorial Service 01 – Memorial Service 11 – Each page of another booklet that was in his shoebox of things he saved.
	Movie Screen – I’m not sure if that is what this is a picture of, but it looks like a movie screen. Not sure when/where.
	Note 01 – I’m not really sure what, exactly, this is.
	Parachutes 01 – Self explanatory. Not sure if this is one he took or one he bought.
	Paratrooper In Tree - Self explanatory. Not sure if this is one he took or one he bought.
	Paratrooper Training Photo 01 – Obviously one he bought.
	Paratrooper Training Photo 02 – Obviously one he bought.
	Paratrooper Training Photo 03 – Obviously one he bought.
	Paratroopers Lament Clipping – Self explanatory.
	Paratroopers Song Clipping – Self explanatory.
	Paris 01 – Not sure when/where this was taken. My grandma seems to think it was in Paris. This could have been another purchased photo.
	Patches – Not sure what these are. They were in his shoebox.
	Price List 01 – Looks like a card to keep soldiers from getting price gouged.
	Price List 02 – Back side of above scan.
	R Graves Booklet 01 – R Graves Booklet 22 – Scans of every page of another booklet found in his shoebox.
	Raining Parachutes 01 – He must have taken this himself judging from the shadows/quality of the photography.
	Raining Parachutes 02 – Another like the scan above.
	School Thanks – A thank you from some school children?
	Sea Scamp 01 – Sea Scamp 08 – Scans of a newsletter. He had a BIG stack of these in his shoebox. I only had time to scan these 8 pages.
	Soldiers Pay Record 01 – Soldiers Pay Record 07 – Self explanatory. Apparently he was never paid…ha ha
	Templehof Accident Clipping – Self explanatory.
	Unknown WWII 01 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 02 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 03 – Not sure who/when/where. Looks like my grandpa on the far right.
	Unknown WWII 04 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 05 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 06 – Not sure who/when/where
	Unknown WWII 07 – My grandpa is on the left. Not sure when/where/who the guy on the right is. [The soldier on the right is Ted Flutor, as identified by his son, Jim Flutor - June 2013]
	Unknown WWII 08 – This looks like Bill Brannan on the right. Not sure when/where/who the guy on the left is.
	Unknown WWII 09 – My grandpa is on the right. Not sure when/where/who the guy on the left is.
	Unknown WWII 10 – My grandpa is on the left. Not sure when/where/who the guy on the right is.
	Unknown WWII 11 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 12 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 13 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 14 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 15 – Not sure who/when/where. Looks like, possibly, Bill Brannan in the middle.
	Unknown WWII 16 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 17 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 18 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 19 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 20 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 21 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 22 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 23 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 24 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 25 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 26 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 27 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 28 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 29 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph
	Unknown WWII 30 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 31 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 32 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 33 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 34 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 35 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 36 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 37 – Somewhere in Nice. Looks like a purchased photograph.
	Unknown WWII 39 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 40 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 41 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 42 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 43 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 44 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 45 – Somewhere near Col de Braus or Sospel.
	Unknown WWII 46 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 47 – Not sure who/when/where.
	WWII 48 – Donald E. Walker, the dog's name is Cesspool. (Don is my wife's uncle by marriage. He is 87 years of age and is living in Wichita Falls, Texas - Jim Williams, Oct 5 2009)
	Unknown WWII 49 – Somewhere in Nice.
	Unknown WWII 50 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 51 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 52 – Not sure when/where.
	Unknown WWII 53 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 54 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 55 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 56 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 57 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 58 – Not sure who/when/where. My grandpa is in the middle.
	Unknown WWII 59 – Not sure who/when/where. My grandpa is on the left.
	Unknown WWII 60 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 61 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 62 – Not sure who/when/where. Looks like my grandpa is in the middle.
	Unknown WWII 63 – Not sure who this is.
	Unknown WWII 64 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 65 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 66 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 67 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 68 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 69 – Not sure who/when/where. My grandpa is on the left.
	Unknown WWII 70 – Not sure who/when/where. My grandpa is on the left.
	Unknown WWII 71 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 72 – Not sure who/when/where. This looks like Bill Brannan, but I’m not sure.
	Unknown WWII 73 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 74 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 75 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 76 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 77 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 78 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 79 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 80 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 81 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 82 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 83 – Not sure when/where.
	Unknown WWII 84 – Not sure. The one in the foreground (back to the camera, turning around) could be my grandpa, but it’s hard to tell. Not sure when/where/who the other men are.
	Unknown WWII 85 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 86 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 87 – Not sure who/when/where. My grandpa is on the left.
	Unknown WWII 88 – Not sure who/when/where.
	Unknown WWII 89 – Not sure who/when/where.
	What Can I Say Clipping 01 – Self explanatory.
	When The Bugles Sound Clipping – Self explanatory.
	World News 01 – Another news letter.
	World News 02 – Back side of above scan.