My Guestbook

Richard, Thank you for this amazing information and for maintaining this site. I'm hoping that you can help me locate  any  information concerning my uncle, Homer S. Long Pvt, 194 Glider Infantry, 17th Airborne Division WWII. He was born on Feb. 03, 1925 in Kane, PA, inducted into the Army on April 14th, 1943, in Salamanca, NY. He received his basic training at Camp Mackall, NC and advanced training at Camp Forest, Tenn. He went overseas in April 1944 to England and was assigned to Company F, 193rd Glider Division, 17th Airborne Division. He was killed on April 6th, 1945 in Germany.  I would like any information conserning him you could offer and if possible to have his photo and service information added to your site along with the men he served with. I am including a link; which I hope will take you to his photo and burial site: https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43445942 

or just www.findagrave.com  his Memorial # 43445942  this # will link you to his information along with 5 of his brothers. 

He had four brothers, in the Army as well, three fought in the European Theater and survived the war: Harry Long (born 1919-1968); John C. Long, (6/9/1921--8/31/2010 My father); Robert H. Long, SGT US Army, Purple Heart, (born 11/23/1922--5/6/1974) and a younger brother Alfred L. Long US Army Air Corps (born 12/21/1927--4/8/1088). I'm not sure where Alfred was during this time. 

Please feel free to contact me anytime,

Sincerely,

Sally Long Sennett

Hello...searching for any info on my father who, I believe, was in the 513th...his name was also John Dobridge...Thank you, John Dobridge

Pvt. Paul Wilbur Duncan, KIA 7 Jan. 1945 was my Great Uncle. He was in the 194th 17th ABN. Thanks to this excellent website, I found his picture in Service Company. It was said that he died while parachuting, but there were no drops at that time. I have read the Company was mortared by the Germans as they jumped off their trucks. He is buried in Spring Bayou Baptist Church cemetery, McCracken Co., KY. Paul had celebrated his 19th birthday in December 1944. Do you have any additional information on Pvt. Duncan? It would be much appreciated.

My father-in-laws uncle, Pvt John Vernon Cox, MIA Jan 7, 1945 Flamierge.  Thank you for creating a memory for all that served.

Awesome website it is greatly appreciated the time spent on putting all the information together for relatives, I am seking any information on Robert L Randall Feb 10 1945 KIA is all I have really found, I do think with the passing of my Uncle Elmer Randall Queens NY all the brothers have passed. I do not have much information and no family alive to inquire which has led me here.

My father was too young to know anything being a Korean wartime volunteer.

I would appreciate any information anyone may have.

Thank you, R Randall

Hello Mr Randall,

thanks for you comment and question. I think Robert L Randall was the son of Ray and Louise Randall.

He was born on May 14, 1921 and lived in Queens, NY. He was inducted in the Army on October 10, 1942 at Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY and received Army Serial Number 32525825. I don't know exactly when he joined the Airborne but he was assigned to the 466th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion. This unit will be permanently assigned to the 17th AB Division on April 15, 1943.

Corporal Robert L Randall was killed in action on February 10, 1945 while his unit was located in the little city of Marnach, Great Dutchy of Luxembourg. The hamlet is located at seven kilometers from the German border. I haven't found information on the circumstances of his death but may be an enemy artillery fire would be explain his death at this time of the battle.

He was buried in the temporary US military cemetery of Foy, Bastogne, Belgium and permanently buried in the National Long Island cemetery on March 30, 1949 (J - 14551).

In the hope that these few information will be of help for your,

Richard

Thank you its much appreciated, my grandfathers name was Roy not Ray, I did know him but he passed when I was young.

http://17th-airborne-in-the-bulge.eklablog.com/roster-466th-pfab-p309964

I can not see how to navigate to next page it seems to end with letter "M"?

Again Thank you

R Randall

Thank you so much for developing this great site. My father, Raymond H. Smith served In I Company, 513 PIR. He did talk about the war and his experience in Flamierge was never forgotten. He survived the war, raised 4 children, and celebrated 68 years of marriage. I am extremely proud of my fathers and his generation.

lf anyone has additional information on I Company, I would appreciate seeing.

Best Regards, 

Jeff Smith

jssmith@astound.net

• • TFH

    Samedi 7 Juillet 2018 à 09:33

    Hi Paul,

    thanks for your comment ! It is very appreciate .

    As you know I/513th PIR was part of the 3rd Batallion/513th. The third Bn was not very involved in the first day of the battle (on January 04, 1945) but play an important role in the next part of the battle, especially on January 07 and 08.

    Regards,

    Richard

Thank you so much for maintaining this website!

I was assigned to the 1-507 when I was in Airborne School.

I am a student of military history, and I am very interested in the US Army Airborne forces and Special Operations forces in WWII.

Please stay in touch.

-Eric

• • TFH

    Mercredi 3 Juillet 2019 à 23:35

    Hi Eric,

    many thanks for your comments.

    It is my pleasure to maintain the memory and action of these brave men !

    It is a great honor to make this work of remembrance for all these young men who participate to the final liberation of my country.

    Regards,

    Richard

My uncle John Habinyak was kia in the battle of the bulge, I have never even seen one picture of him, my grandmother never accepted his death and threw all pictures of him out; there are a lot of us (his nieces and nephews) that would love to see any pictures anyone my have, we know it's a long shot, thanks.

• • TFH

    Samedi 9 Mai 2020 à 09:13

    Hi Joe,

    thanks for your testimony and ... sorry for my late answer.

    John Habinyak (ASN 32096887) was member of the F/193rd GIR. He was killed in action on January 07, 1945 during the first day of battle of his regiment. That was on the north-west of Bastogne.

    He is buried in the American Military Cemetery of Luxembourg. I have a lot of info on this battle but unfortunately no pic of your uncle.

    Don't hesitate to send me an email if I can help you (pic of the 07 january battlefield, grave, ...).

    Regards,

    Richard

My big compliments for this website about the 17th Airborne. I adopted a grave in Margraten and am caring for the grave of Lawrence Edward Crandall, TEC5 at the 224th Medical Company. In my search for a face by the name, I became euphoric some time ago when I found a picture of Lawrence on your website training at Camp Mackall. 

After that my interest in the history of the 224th only grew and I read a lot about Varsity. Thank you very much !!!!

• • TFH

    Samedi 9 Mai 2020 à 09:03

    Hi Martin,

    thanks for your comment. I am happy to have contributed to your research on this gentleman and interest for the men of the 17th AB Division !

    Regards,

    Richard

We communicated awhile ago...just wanted to add my name to your guest book. Francis E Walsh was my uncle...he is buried in Arlington National cemetery and as I have been doing research on my family history I got your website by typing in his 466th C Battery information. You sent me a few pics that you had...if you have any more to send along, please do. Merci!

• • TFH

    Dimanche 28 Juin 2020 à 23:00

    Hi Skip,

    good to read news from you. Hope you're fine !

    Richard

  • Skip

    Lundi 6 Juillet 2020 à 14:26

    Richard,

    I am well. I have been doing some more research on my uncle and will send you some links via our email exchange relative to the 17th AB that you may find interesting, if not already explored.

I have a yard log unit photo on tge Service Company 517th PIR under Capt. Hickman at Camp Toccoa, GA.  It is rolled, never mounted.

Any ideas on value?

• • TFH

    Dimanche 18 Octobre 2020 à 22:19

    Hi sir,

    Interesting ! Yes I have an idea of the value. Have you pics of this yard long ? Don't hesitate to contact me to discuss that.

    Regards,

    TFH

This is a wonderful site dedicated to the Troopers of the 17th Airborne Division. Thank you for sharing their history.

Thanks Jim !

TFH

Magnificent goods from you, man. I've understand your stuff previous to and you are just too fantastic. I really like what you've acquired here, really like what you're saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still care for to keep it wise. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is really a terrific site.

You have created and excellent site to commemorate the 17th airborne division.  My father's cousin Sloan or Bill Shelton was a paratrooper and served in the 17th. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge.  While working on a forced labor range in a German rail yard, he was wounded when a group of P47 Thunderbolts attacked at low altitude with bombs and machine gun fire. He was grazed by a ricochet of a 50 caliber machine gun round fired by one of the attacking fight bombers.  The Germans then repatriated him via the Red Cross.  He was taken to a hospital in Paris.  He later escaped from the hospital and returned to the Division.  I do not know to which unit he was assigned.  He told me these things in 1980 when I visited him at his home in Tuscon, Arizona.  He gave me his 1941 jump jacket and pants and a bracelet with airborne wings.  He passed away a few years later.  He was a good man and known for his philanthropy.  I carried his airborne bracelet with me when I went through jump school in 1982.  Thank you for creating this site!

• • TFH

    Samedi 18 Décembre 2021 à 21:57

    Hello Joe,

    many thanks for your comment. I really appreciate you like my work.

    I'm pretty sure that the father of your cousin is William D Shelton. He served with the C/513th PIR and was captured by German troops on January 04, 1945 during the first day of battle for his unit. He fought with his comrades in a little hamlet called Cocheleval on National 4, north-west of Bastogne. It was a fierce battle, the first day of a ten days battle called "Battle of Dead's man ridge". The weather was bad this day and no aerial support ...

    I'll be really happy to have pics of his uniform (r.frognier@yahoo.fr). Hope these info will be interested for you.

    Regards

I am so glad that I came across your website.. I have been trying to get info on my father-in-law for many years.. A lot of his records were burnt archives..  

His name  Leon L Lefebvre    he was in 513th but I can't find anything else.   He was called "Frenchie" 

• • TFH

    Dimanche 12 Mars 2023 à 13:26

    Hi Peggy,

    I am happy that my work is of interest for you, thanks.

    Unfortunately I have not a lot of interesting info for you. All I know is that he was volunteer for the Army and join it on October 15, 1940 and was discharged on August 30, 1945. He was not wounded in the Bulge and after but I can't localize him more precisely in the 513th PIR, especially I don't know his company.

    Don't hesitate to join me with the contact address !

    Richard