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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.
Write 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.
LOOKING 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.
She 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.
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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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