70
Pleasant St. Cohasset, MA.02025 *781 383 0215 * Mail Call : Ben
Barrett Ben517@aol.com
Hello,
This will be last Mail Call until after the reunion.
Ben
Recent website additions:
Paratrooper
Training - Fort Benning 1943 Frank Ramos
300 photos of John Harte and B
Battery, 460 PFAB
Pvt. John S. Hopkins
Claire
Giblin
Hi, Ben,
Special to reunion attendees:
I have just been advised today that the Vice President is planning to make
brief remarks at the final banquet on Sunday.
We are, of course, thrilled to welcome the Vice President to address our
favorite troopers.
Photo ID is an absolute must for this event, along with banquet tickets from
Armed Forces Reunions. Attendees will obtain their registration packets at
the hotel.
Everyone have a safe trip to DC!
Warmly,
Claire Giblin
Reunion Co-chair
Billie Hiers,
BEN: This is just a quick note ... to let you know (OR ANYONE) that
Lucky and I had signed up for the Friday afternoon to see the Memorials, and
also for the Liberty Jump. We cannot possibly attend. At this moment
he is in an ambulance on his way to a hospital in Denver. This is a heart
related trip, but this is all I know. But there would be blank seats for
the above mentioned events.
Boom Boom ... your heart must be yearning for better health and a reunion
to attend. As I pray for Lucky, I will pray for you. We pray
for you often anyway. But, as Lucky said just before the ambulance was
leaving ... "we've had a good run!"
This is a double whammy for me ... Lucky is #1 with me, and the second
whammy is NOT being there and the people who are starting to be known
through Mail Call; (and a third whammy is we won't be there to see our son who
will be leaving so SOON for the war zone).
I'll take care of any other issues later when my head is not so focused on
other situations. Tell Claire I definitely will miss her.
Thanks.
Billie
Victor Wright ( our new English friend )
Ben,
Thanks for the reply - a good question, why the
517th? Well the answer is simple really, our group exists to
promote
the memories and sacrifices that the men and women of the Second World War gave
for us. We honour
all who were involved.
The public in
England in general don't know about units like the 517th for several reasons -
similar to the USMC.
First they were not here in the UK during the war,
except for times like yourself, and secondly South of France and
the Pacific
were overshadowed by what was happening in Normandy. The same goes for
Burma, Singapore and to
some degree in Russia too.
Our
group reenacts the units most people know for example the 501st PIR and the
82nd (505th) however we are now
wanting to tell the much wider picture and
are currently doing 509th (also South of France) and have introduced
the 28th
Infantry (Bloody Bucket) and the 445th USAAF.
As you've
probably guessed we specialise in US forces.
We are in touch with
many veterans from many different regiments and divisions all of whom have a
different story
to tell, we want to make sure that as many of those stories
are told so that the youth of today can understand
what people like yourself
gave in order for us to enjoy the freedom we share today.
The 517th
interests us in many ways -its not just the theatre of operations - i.e
it is not Normandy, but things like the
uniforms which seem to be
almost none regulated - this is something we find most interesting - daft maybe,
but from
an enthusiasts point of view, very different. We know so
little about you all that it is our duty to learn and teach. I know the
public will love to hear about you - can you imagine how different it would
be to give a lecture in a school on the
517th instead of Easy 506th?
There are many people out there wanting to know, we want to be part of the story
by
telling people our findings.
I could go on all day but I'd
probably bore you to death!
I'd love to hear more about yourself
Ben - is your story on the website. Forgive me if it is I have not had the
time to
delve into the site too much as of yet.
I hope this
goes some way into explaining our interest, I look forward to hearing from
you.
Regards
Vic
Don Gentry
Hello Ben, I saw Trooper Walsh's note about displaying some pictures. I too
have some items to display for the family of John S. Hopkins. I
have mementos of the training period for his time with the HQ Company
2nd Battalion 517th PRCT which should be of interest to the population in
general. Additional items are provided for those interested in following Trooper
Hopkins with the 513th, POW time, return to CONUS, and rehabilitation.
The families are quite interested in contact with those that might remember
him during his time with the 517th. I will be available in the Hospitality
Room to take notes, pictures and whatever comes our way.
A scanned copy of Thunderbolt Vol. 1 No. 1 dated August 1943 provided
by Granddaughter Kelly Holderbaum will be available to check out. This issue
featured Bob Hope and his gang. Kelly found this keeper recently in her
grandfather's high school Year Book. Kelly will continue searching and
contacting other family members for any information they can provide.
This might spark a memory. From John L. Hopkins: In talking with John S.,
he recounted that during training, he wound up being the company clerk (more or
less), because he could type. When a new recruit showed up,
the CO told John S to "take him to the dump". Meaning take him on a
5 mile run to see what he was made of. John S. handled most of
them pretty well. One day, however, he and the recruit made
the trip and back. Neither was tired, so they went
again. And again. Seems the recruit was a marathon
runner!
Another keeper is a hand drawn cartoon by "Monk-2nd Bn 517th". This cartoon
is untitled but the well placed boot mark on a deployed Trooper's back side
speaks for itself.
I hope to determine from the attendees or others that might read this what
caused John S. Hopkins to miss deployment with the 517th and his further
assignment to the 513th? All help will be appreciated. Thanks,
Don Gentry
John L Hopkins
Ben,
I am John L. Hopkins. Been in contact
with Don Gentry about my father. John S. Hopkins.
Would certainly appreciate it if you would include
me on future mailings of Mail Call.
Thanks
John
Victor Wright
Hi Ben
many thanks for the reply - have a great time at the
reunion and make sure that they all know that there
are lots of people out
there that care and think of them all each and every day.
Please
put me on the list to receive mail calls.
Regards
Vic
Mickey Moses
BEN
Please add me to your mail call list. My email is
mjmoses@bellsouth.net
mickey moses
Mary Jane
To All the wonderful members, family
and friends of the 517th:
Please have a joyous, memorable and
safe reunion in Washington
D.C.! I will be
thinking of all of you!! I feel so blessed to have become aware of your
incredible story and your tremendous contributions to history and freedom during
World War II . I was so fortunate to have met Ben Barrett during this past year
and have the honor of writing an article about the 517th and his
marvelous website available to all.
Any of you who have special tales or
thoughts to share about the reunion, please be sure to let Ben or someone in his
family know. We are planning a follow up feature for our newspaper here in
Cohasset later this summer that will tell of the reunion. We would love to know
about those who may travel to Washington from other
countries as well and what the 517th meant to your lives. One very
special interest I would like to include in my story is how the legacy of the
517th is being passed on to younger
generations.
Again, enjoy each other, your
incredible patriotism and our nation’s gorgeous Capital!
God Bless the USA!
Mary Jane
Hanron
Cohasset
Mariner