|
| |
  
|
 |
News
From The
508
MARCH 2007 |
Taps: VAN RICHARD WALKER, Sr of HQ 1st died May 28, 2006 in
Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He served 23 years in the military. He retired
with the rank of Master sergeant. In World War II, VAN served in the 508th
Parachute Infantry Regiment. During the Korean War he served in the Air
Force. The WALKER family moved from Texas to Florida in recent years,
where VAN was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Baptist Church. He was
buried in the Biloxi National Cemetery, Biloxi, Mississippi, with full
military honors. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, ALLEN WALKER,
three sons and five grandchildren. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. ALLEN
WALKER, 30 Holly Ave., # 104, Shalimar, FL 32579. Phone: 850862-9379.
Reported by JOE BRESSLER.
Taps: STEVE SCHMELICK,
AGE 90 died November 5,2006. STEVE was a Communication specialist in 508th
Regimental Headquarters Company. His daughter Mrs. FRANK (DORIS) SNYDER
reported that STEVE passed away in his sleep at his residence at Park
Health Center, Clairsville, Ohio.
STEVE was born in
Wheeling, West Virginia. After serving in World War II, STEVE worked as an
electrician in Wheeling Pittsburg Steel Corporation.
Memorials may be sent
to Valley Hospice, 132 Peters Run Road, Wheeling, WV 26003. Condolences
can be sent to the family at www.kepnerfuneral.com. (FRANK and HELEN
SAKOWSKI sent this sad news.)
GEORGE
BRAND, Regimental HQ Co, in his Christmas letter, reported spending 16
days in the hospital from a heart attack and stroke. His wife GRACE spent
16 days in his hospital room in a sleeper chair. Also each of his four
kids spent a week visiting GEORGE and GRACE. He credits his family being
with him as the reason he was able to recover so quickly and get well.
JlM SMITH, reports that
the 82nd Airborne Division Review has been cancelled for 2007 due to the
fact that 3 brigades of the division will be deployed overseas: the 1st
and 2nd Brigades are being deployed to Iraq, and the 4th Brigade is on its
way to Afghanistan, the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment is with the 4th
Brigade.
Brigade.
TOM PORCELLA
was guest of honor and speaker at a Special Dinner at Ft Dix, NJ: TOM was
invited by Colonel MACNEIL to speak to the troops about the Battle of
Normandy, June 6,1944 and following. (Information from a copy of TOM's
email to ELLEN PETERS, who reported this news.)
March in
the Footsteps of the 82 Airborne Division, February 17 2007: This event
will be history before it is read from The Static Line 508th column. (If
you want to advertise in this column, submit information several months in
advance. I am writing this in January, to be submitted by February 1st,
for the March edition.)
This
year the March will follow the trails of the 508th Parachute Infantry
during the Battle of the Bulge. The March is an annual February event
sponsored by the Belgian Chapter of the 82nd Airborne C-47 Club, with
EMILE LACROIX as the leader of the Club. This is the 25th year the March
has been made. It is a monumental occasion. To get timely information
about the annual March in the Footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division,
contact EMILE LACROIX by e-mail
emaile.lacroix@skynet.be.
DAVE PIKE has signed up
for the March as a representative of the 508th, he has promised to send us
an after-action-report. DAVE PIKE is a friend of the 508th tram
Nottingham, England, now a resident of Ste Mere Eglise of Normandy,
France. DAVE sent his new e-mail address in a Christmas letter
pikecolonel@aol.com.uk.
HANS KOK, a school teacher in
Nazareth, Belgium, has contacted me by phone and letter. His seventeen
year old son FLORIS, while visiting in Normandy met American Veterans and
asking them for stories of their Normandy experiences. He also invites
Veterans to visit with his family in Nazareth if they come to Europe.
FLORIS KOK has
accumulated WW II relics for a home museum named "The Red Parachute
Museum", which features a big red parachute from Normandy. FLORIS has
given presentations to many school groups. He tells the stories he has
collected from the Veterans after showing the visitors through the museum.
The KOK's address is: HANS KOK, Renbaanstraat 21, 981C Nazareth, Belgium,
kokhans@hotmail.com is their e-mail address. |
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
|
|
Top of Page |
|
