|
| |
  
|
 |
News
From The
508
April 2010 |
OCTOBER 2010 REUNION UPDATE –
The reunion agenda will be finalized when the association board meets in
Atlanta this month during All Airborne Week. Be sure to attend our best
reunion yet! It will be held in Oklahoma City, OK, October 20 through
24, 2010. If you haven’t registered yet, click on the “2010 REUNION”
button at www.508PIR.org to print a registration form!
508TH HISTORY – As a by-product of the research that
goes into the web site, a database of all men assigned to the 508th,
however briefly, during WW-II is being developed. It has been theorized,
we are told, that as many as 10,000 men passed through the regiment
during the war. Although not yet fully transcribed, copies of various
General, Special and Company level orders as well as the Morning
Reports, have already contributed more than 4600 names. We are certain
that we will identify even more.
MORNING REPORT TRANSCRIPTIONS – Extracting the
information from the Morning Reports for the period October 1942 through
May 1945 is underway and quite a few have been completed; but more help
is needed. If you can use either Microsoft WORKS or EXCEL and have time
to transcribe a few reports, let us know.
Reports typically use a single 4x8 page for each day of the month. Most
dates do not use all of the 22 available lines. If you have interest in
a particular company and it hasn’t yet been assigned, we will
accommodate your request. (See the contact information at the bottom of
this column.
FACEBOOK USERS – you can become a fan of the 2-508 at
http://www.facebook.com/2.508PIR?ref=nf. Use the link to view photos of
the 2nd Battalion men in Afghanistan and keep in touch with the unit
news.
D-DAY 2010 CEREMONIES - Vivian Roger, Secretary,
Association U. S. Normandie "mémoire et gratitude" has advised that the
agenda for this year’s ceremonies can be viewed on a bi-lingual page at
www.sainte-mere-eglise.info/en/pageLibre00014047.html. Check it out!
RESEARCHER SEEKING – Military historian ROBERT CLARK
writes that he would like to have contact with veterans of all eras as
well as family members on the home front for his three separate studies.
ROBERT is interested in the typical sort of general service
recollections but also has two sub-projects.
His side interests include, first, veterans with
“animal stories”, whether working with military animals such as guard
dogs, messenger pigeons or mascots and, secondly, veterans who had
“unusual psychic or unexplained experiences.” This could include ghost
sightings, premonitions, good luck charms, near death experiences, UFO
sightings, etc.
If you have stories in any of these three categories
that you wish to share, please contact ROBERT CLARK at History Projects,
P.O. Box 685, Collinsville, IL 62234.
WOLLATON MONUMENT IN JEOPARDY – Nottingham City
Council may withdraw the 508 project at Wollaton Park due to shortage of
funds caused by the recession.
GRAHAM LAWSON (508th Friend) and PAULINE ARMSTRONG (Nottingham University)
are both quite distraught at the news. They are actively seeking support
to bring the project back into play.
RIGGER REMINISCING – If you were in Service Company and
worry that you are losing your touch, fear no more. We recently added a
10-page manual issued by The Parachute School at Fort Benning in 1943
which details how to pack a parachute. Check it out and brush up on
those critical skills!
TAPS – FAYETTE O. RICHARDSON (Co H), of Brooklyn, NY
left us on March 26, 2010 after an extended illness.
JOHN BOONE (Hq 1), of Salem, OR died on March 12, 2010. Sadly, his wife
Helen died at almost the same time; so closely that they appear in the
same obituary notice.
Also recently noted: DUWAYNE ERDMANN (508 ARCT 1951-54)
of Wausau, WI in October 2009 and ANTHONY L. LAJUDICE (508 ARCT, Korean
era) of Norwood, PA.
FRANCIS MAHAN (Co I) - Sometimes artifacts surface slowly; we recently
added two obituary notices to the web site for Lt. Col (Ret.) FRANCIS
MAHAN who passed away in Fayetteville NC almost 15 years ago.
Other recent updates, whether for obituaries or grave
marker photos, documented Final Jumps dating between 1961 and 2006.
|
|
SEND NEWS FOR THE COLUMN
TO:
Dick O’Donnell
760 Conestee Drive
Melbourne, FL 32904
PH: (321) 759-6174
e-mail:
Jumpmaster@508PIR.org
|
|
Top of Page |
|
