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News
From The
508
APRIL 2006 |
Family
and Friends of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment WWII) Association:
Plans for the first reunion of the newly incorporated association have
been announced by hostess and host JOYCE and JOHNNY JOHNSON (HQ1): Where?
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, Birmingham, Alabama. When? August 8-11,2007.
How Much? Registration $85 per person, room $85 plus $11.20 for taxes per
night for 1 or 2 persons. Make room reservations by calling the hotel at
(205) 324-5000. Mention the 508 PIR Reunion to get the special room
rate. Send registration to JOYCE JOHNSON, 5505 Brewer Lane, Pinson,
AL 35126. (More information in Association newsletter).
Wartime Memories of
Nottingham, England: GRAHAM LAWSON, friend of the 508th in Nottingham,
sent us a copy of an article from the Nottingham Evening Post, in which
KATH PRICE tells of her wartime experiences as teenage waitress in Milton
Cafe near Nottingham's Victoria Station. Here are two quotes from
KATH PRICES's article: "The same soldiers came back the next evening and
with all their soldier mates filled the cafe to capacity. All the
other waitresses and I made frends with them all, JOHNNIES, HANKS, JOES
and BUDDIES. They showered us with Lucky Strikes and Chesterfield
cigarettes, chewing gum, chocolates, oranges, and tins of fruit.
Everything here was on rations, but not for the Yanks, they were short of
nothing." "They came, they saw, they conquered us, then all so quickly, it
was time for them to go."
If KATH
PRICE'S articles stirs the memories of any Red Devils, who were over there
and overpaid and over-whatever (no doubt, over-the-hill by now) would like
to tell of your Nottingham memories, GRAHAM LAWSON will pass it on to the
Evening Post. GRAHAM'S e-mail is <GRAHAM508@SKY.COM>
TAPS: NEAL W.
BEAVER of G Co, HQ 3rd and H Co died January 20,2007 at age 83 in Grand
Marais, Michigan. NEAL began his military career after high school
with the Michigan National Guard. He rose through most of the
enlisted positions and achieved his highest rank of 1 st Lieutenant and
Commanding Officer of H Company in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
He was recalled to duty during the Korean War. NEAL was seriously
injured in a failed parachute accident and was discharged in 1953.
After WWII
NEAL graduated from Toledo University with a Bachelor of Science in
Mathematical Education and taught high school mathematics for sixteen
years. He remained a mentor to many of his former students. He
served as School Superintendent of the Burt Township and other offices of
the Burt Township.
NEAL BEAVER is
survived by his wife RUTH, four children, nine grandchildren and 10
great-grandchildren. At the request of NEAL, there were no funeral
services in his honor. Memorials in Memory of NEAL may be directed
to the Burt Township School Athletic Fund, P.O. Box 338, Grand Marais, Ml
49839.
NEAL's friends may like
to send condolences to his wife RUTH, whose address is P. 0. Box 207,
Grand Marais, Ml 48839.
TAPS:
ERNEST P. BECK, G Co of Pine Grove, PA, died December 14, 2006 at the VA
Medical Center of Lebanon, PA where he had been ill for about five years.
ERNIE came to the 508th in Nottingham, shortly before D-Day. He
jumped in Normandy and served throughout our time in Europe. His
name is on the 1945 Roster in Frankfurt, Germany as a sergeant. Sgt
ERNEST BECK was proud to have served his country as a paratrooper in the
508th. He never had a chance to go to any reunions but he was
Airborne All the Way.
Condolences
may be sent to ERNIE'S widow MRS. WINIFRED BECK, Water Bridge of Pine
Grove, 24 Hicks Hollow Rd, Pine Grove, i PA 17963. This information
came by phone from HARRY FESSLER ! of Pine Grove, PA.
HARRY is very proud of
his home town of Pine Grove, population of , less than 2,000, which
produced 5 paratroopers who made the D-Day 1 jump into Normandy: HARRY's
brother JOHN FESSLER, 507/82. I RUSSELL BROWN, 505/82, ROY (JOSH)
ZERBE 506/101, RALPH I ZERBE 502/101 and our own ERNEST BECK.
TAPS: JAMES
O. PEEK, B Co, died February 9, 2007. JAMES was one of the original
cadre members sent to Camp Blanding to help turn raw recruits into a well
trained fighting regiment. JAMES was on one of those Red Ball
Express trucks that transported us from Camp Sissonne, France to
Werbomont, Belgium. As they neared Werbomont in the middle of the
night on a curvy mountain road, one of the trucks turned over and rolled
on top of the troopers who were packed tightly in the open bed truck.
PEEK was among the injured. He spent many months in several
hospitals recovering from his injuries.
Condolences may be
sent to JAMES' widow: Mrs. BETTY PEEK, 102WFinleyAve,Apt 302, Ottumwa, IA
525014657 (Reported by JIM SMITH.)
March
in the footsteps of the 82, with emphasis on the 508th, Feb 17: EMILE
LACROIX reported that there were over 1,000 marchers. GRAHAM LAWSON
e-mailed that he had just gotten back from the march. GRAHAM has
another change of e-mail address. It is GRAHAM508@SKY.COM. |
Send news for column to
ZIG BOROUGHS, Interim 508th STATIC LINE Columnist
P.O. Box 1131
Pickens. SC 29671
PH: (864) 878-9523
e-mail: ralph.boroughs@att.net
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