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News
From The

508

MAY 2008

     RECALLING MACKALL – Lowell STEVENS and Eugene PIASECKI are compiling the history of Camp Mackall for the United States Army Special Operations Command History Office.
    
They are interested in obtaining any photographs, documents, pictures, etc. concerning Camp Mackall’s history. They can also conduct interviews with anyone having knowledge of events at Camp Mackall, Laurinburg-Maxton or Knollwood Army Air Bases.
    
Write to them at Commander, USASOC, ATTN: AOHS, E-2929 Desert Storm Drive (Stop A), Fort Bragg, NC 28310-9110 or by phone at 910-432-4320
     TAPS: MSgt Eddie E. AREMIJO (ARMY-JO as he preferred to be called) made his Final Jump on February 13, 2008 in Springer, NM. He was 76. AREMIJO had been in the AT&M Platoon, HQ & HQ Company, 508th in 1952. He was an Airborne Ranger and GYROED to Japan in 1955.
    
Robert W. LYNCH, (G Co), departed on Feb 19, 2008 at his home in Uniontown, OH. Bob was 86 years old.
    
1st
Sgt. Carroll B. CALVERT (Co D) of Beckley, WV and a winner of both the Silver Star and Bronze Star medals has reportedly taken  his Final Jump. No other details are available but updates would be appreciated. Contact info is at bottom of this column.
    
NEW BELGIAN WEB SITE - Xavier VAN DAELE, a 31-year-old Belgian recently wrote about his website on the history of the American paratroops in WW-II (www.usairborne.be).

    
He created this site after noticing there was no site covering subject as a whole; all other sites are about the 101st or 82nd only. VAN DAELE would like to honor veterans on his website so that they will never be forgotten. He doesn't want to write a book or earn money with these stories, only to tell them to all generations.
     XAVIER wants to make contact by postal mail if possible. He also seeks contact with families who lost a family member during WW-II.
    
W
rite to him at: Xavier VAN DAELE, Rue Hameau les Bois 3a, 7181 Arquennes, Belgium or via e-mail at x_va@hotmail.com
   
LABOR OF LOVE – Jack and Sue Talley are sorting through approximately 1,000 letters written between Sue’s parents, Lt. George and Jeanne Gurwell. The letters were only recently brought to light when Jeanne gave them to Sue.

    
All these missives were penned during the war and appear to have been written at the prolific rate of at least one per week … each way! The sheer volume is such that it took a day just to put George’s stack in chronological sequence. Also included are another 100 letters that George wrote to his father and step-mother plus various newspaper clippings that Jeanne saved. All this letter writing makes one wonder when Lt. GURWELL found time to fight!
    
Jack and Sue are not entirely sure what they will do with this treasure trove but they fully intend to put it to the best use possible.
  
L
OOKING FOR – Ron Hetland, son of Eugene Hetland (E Co) is trying to gather information regarding his father. Anyone with info please e-mail Ron at ron81047het@sbcglobal.net
    
NOTTINGHAM NOTES – An e-mail from Salina FORREST recently landed in our in-box. SALINA is a fourth-year student at Nottingham Trent University. As part of her history dissertation she has chosen to look at the 508th and their influence on Nottingham.
    
S
he is seeking photos of the camp back then and maps of the location, etc. She would also like to gather oral histories especially focusing on any soldiers who married local women and any who settled in Nottingham. Anyone with information to share can e-mail her at selina.forrest@ntlworld.com
    
Interestingly, our regimental friend, Graham LAWSON, was recently at his post in the Wollaton museum when Ms. FORREST came through. GRAHAM was able to answer many questions for her.
    
Kathy PRICE was also in the museum that day. KATHY had been a 15-year old waitress in a café next to Victoria station when the 508th disembarked on their lengthy journey from Belfast in March 1944.
    
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – the association’s website (www.508PIR.org) is five years old this month. It has averaged nearly 20,000 visitors annually and the rate is still growing! The site has hundreds of pages and thousands of photos and its own search engine.
 

SEND NEWS FOR THE COLUMN TO:

Dick O’Donnell
760 Conestee Drive

Melbourne, FL 32904
PH: (321) 759-6174
e-mail: Jumpmaster@508PIR.org

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