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News
From The
508
October 2010 |
508TH WEB SITE HAS A LONG REACH
– a recent e-mail from BILL GALYEAN stated: “Your webpage has some
photos of a memorial [ceremony at HÉMEVEZ, France] … on June 5, 2009.”
The ceremony he referred to was in honor of men of the 507th who had
been executed by the Germans and put into a mass grave.
“My wife's brother”, he continued, “PFC Elsworth Heck,
was one of the 7 soldiers recognized on this memorial. He was a member
of the 507th PIR and was captured and executed by the Germans on D-Day.
I hope your resources would be able obtain some better photos of both
sides of this memorial.
This has been a shock to us as we were first
informed that Elsworth Heck was murdered by the Germans just last week.
We will appreciate any information you can provide.”
We found it remarkable that the HECK and GALYEAN
families had been in the dark for 66 years regarding the circumstances
of ELSWORTH’S death and that our website had given them their first
glimpse of the memorial to him and the other six paratroopers.
We immediately contacted the ASSOCIATION U.
S. NORMANDIE which is responsible for this memorial and many others in
the area. Members of the association are now in contract with the
GALYEAN family.
Although it involved a different regiment,
it was gratifying to help this family seeking information so much after
the fact.
SICK CALL – CYNTHIA CARRUTH recently advised
us that her father, Ray Wilson, fell on August 14th. He was hospitalized
and underwent a heart catheterization followed by implantation of a
pacemaker.
It was also determined RAY had a
compression fracture of the T10 vertebra and a vertebroplasty procedure,
injection of bone cement to correct the fractured vertebra, was also
performed.
Please join us in wishing Ray a very speedy
recovery. Cards and letters can be sent to him at: RAY WILSON, c/o
CYNTHIA CARRUTH, 3 Windwood Cove, Jackson, TN 38305.
DICK O’DONNELL was recently hospitalized
due to multiple pulmonary embolisms in both lungs. He subsequently
learned that he also had a blood clot in the right leg, something he had
endured eight years earlier.
Released after 6 days of treatment, DICK
reports that his prognosis is good and that he will be taking Coumadin (Warfarin),
a blood thinner for the rest of his life. He now feels great and thanks
everyone who conveyed their well wishes during his recovery.
TAPS - We reported last month that GEORGE
FAIRMAN (Hq 2nd) had suffered a stroke and was in critical condition.
Unfortunately, GEORGE succumbed to the effects of the stroke on
September 2nd. GEORGE was laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park,
Whittier CA.
JAMES W. MORRELL (Co G), made his Final Jump
on 5 June 2010. Three grandsons presented the flag which had draped the
casket to his widow, MRS. EULA MORRELL.
All three are on active duty and were in uniform.
They are: SEAN MORRELL, 2nd Lieutenant Royal Norwegian Air Force
currently at the NATO flight training center Sheppard AFB, Texas; JACOB
MORRELL, Petty Officer 1st Class U.S. Navy Seal Team 10; and, JOSH
MORRELL, Petty Officer 2nd Class U.S. Navy diver stationed in San Diego,
California.
Three of the Morrell sons are military
veterans. Michael was a helicopter crew chief with the 1st Brigade
Headquarters Company, 82nd Airborne. Steven was an F-15 pilot in the Air
Force and Donald was in Army intelligence in Europe.
GRAVE ADOPTERS SEEK INFORMATION – DOMINIQUE POTIER
of Belgium, with his sister NATHALIE HAYES, have adopted three graves in
HENRI CHAPELLE cemetery. Most recently, NATHALIE adopted the grave of
CLABORNE STEELE, Company A, who died on 8 January 1945.
Also adopted was the grave of PFC R. Q. LESTER. Very
little is known of LESTER who was killed in action on 20 February 1945.
Even his company has yet to be determined.
If you can provide any information on STEELE or
LESTER, please e-mail DOMINIQUE at paracsm@hotmail.com
Another recent adoption was made by JEAN-LUC
LORENA, also of Belgium. He now refers to SGT ROBERT F. GERVAIS as his
“godson” and seeks any information or photographs possible. Jean-Luc can
be contacted at lorenalucie@hotmail.com
Send news for the column, or website material, to:
Dick O’Donnell
760 Conestee Drive
West Melbourne, FL 32904-1812, USA;
Phone: (321) 759-6174
E-mail: Jumpmaster@508PIR.org
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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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