Latest News

With a large contingency, members of the Foundation participated in the Memorial Walk in Bastogne. This year, the walk paid tribute to
the US 327 Glider Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. Our board member (director of US operations) and honorary CSM of
the 327, Joseph M. Bossi, was put in the spotlight by the Memorial Walk's organisers.

You can enjoy an impression of the Memorial Walk by downloading the slide show : MEMORIAL WALK

Preparations for OPERATION TORCH 2009 are in full swing. 2009 being an anniversary year (65 years after the liberation in 1944),
we are planning a commemmorative trip starting in Normandy (France). We will then visit Bastogne (Belgium) and visit the complete Operation
Market Garden area in The Netherlands (Holland). We have set the date of arrival on September 8th. Departure on the 23rd.

Programme and prices will be posted as soon as they become available - Stay tuned!

For other questions concerning Operation Torch 2009 contact us.

With all the activities the Foundation has started and experienced over the last couple of weeks, it was impossible to keep the website
up to date. Amends are made - enjoy the read!

dinner at Le Nuts Restaurant, McAuliffe square, Bastogne, Belgium - September 20th 2008
f.l.t.r.: J.Bossi jr, WWII veteran Ray Nagell and wife Helen, Jenny van Hout and Geurt van Rinsum

***September 1***
The Dutch Veterans, who have their own meeting point in Eindhoven, will be holding an exhibition
from September 13th through 25th October 2008. Theme of the exhibition is: EINDHOVEN IN WWII
Our Foundation is pleased to be contributing some of its collection of photographs and other paraphenalia. Mr Albert Roxs kindly agreed to
lending some of his pictures too.

The 101st Airborne Division flag and the 506th Association flag will be exhibited too in order to make sure that the 101st Airborne Division is not forgotten in Eindhoven.

***August 28th***
On Sunday 24th August the WINNER was drawn of the raffle to support the wounded soldiers in Walter Reed hospital.

In order to reach the winner first, we've held back on publishing the news. The winning ticket number - which fell in Europe - was :

and many thanks to all who, by taking a chance, supported our wounded warriors.

***August 23rd***
With September 18th coming up real soon, a few members of the Foundation made a start last Sunday on walking THE AIRBORNE PATH.
They will be walking about 220 kilometres in honor of our liberators and with the thought of keeping the memory alive. A weblog will
be started soon, and a link will be made from our website to the blog so you'll be able to follow us.
Also, if you're in the area, you are hereby invited to join us on the 25 or so days that we'll be walking - one or two routes each day
that we are able to.
We'll be posting the next day, time and location we'll be starting off from - and make it a Rendez-vous With Destiny!

Please read the background information on THE AIRBORNE PATH and a weblog on our walks here.

***August 10th***
Read about a large Military Fair in Bastogne, Belgium on the 20th and 21st of September 2008.
The Foundation will attend this event in order to present itself and its activities. Please join us! We look forward to seeing you!

editor of the Static Line Magazine and organisor of more than 30 Static Line Airborne Awards conventions, passed away.
Don, a WWII 82nd Airborne veteran, was one of the few who recognised the importance of ALL Airborne units to be in communication
with one another. The Static Line events were a gathering of more than 70 elite and unique organisations(Airborne, Air Assault,
Glider, Special Forces).
Although it will be a tremendous task to step into Don's footsteps, we sincerely hope that his legacy continues.

Don will be sorely missed - in Atlanta, all over the United States, but here, in The Netherlands too! THANK YOU, Don, for all you did.
May you rest in peace from all your efforts, and enjoy the company of the troopers who soared before you.

Since Mr. Driessen announced in 2006 that he was looking for a successor for his museum, it has been a very turbulent time.
In 2007 a new party appeared to have been found in the form of Mr. van Pelt (owner of, among other things, a large swimming facility
called Aquabest, near Eindhoven). After the announcement that the museum will be continued, Van Pelt also announced that the museum will be continued in its present form, following the spirit of Mr. Driessen. Adjustments will be made to keep the museum attractive to new generations.
Quite a few conversions and additions are realised to establish this. The house near the road has been taken down and the inhabitants of this house have been moved to another part of the plot and were given a new home. An existing building has been converted to a luxury bungalow.

The old entrance-hall was demolished after years of loyal service and has been replaced by a completely new entrance with a restaurant.
The hall behind the entrance has been retained and refurbished with a new exhibition: largely Second World War. This hall has been renamed
after the founder of the museum: Mr. Driessen.

The airplanes on exhibition will all receive a permanent place in a separate hall will is to be built yet. This hall will contain lots of windows so the outside is always present in the exhibition. At present the first Dakota is already in place on the new floor.

Soon, the Mock-up Spitfire and a Piper cub will follow. After that, the cover can be placed over the planes. One of the many halls on the museum
grounds will be converted for temporary exhibitions. This will ensure that the public remains attracted to the whole museum.

The museum was officially reopened on May 5, 2008. However, the complete conversion is expected to take another 3 years to be realised.
The first hall behind the entrance having undergone its metamorphosis, we can wholeheartedly recommend a visit to you.

MUSEUM WINGS of LIBERATION
Sonseweg 39
5681 BH Best
The Netherlands

***June 7th***
Some time ago, President Petra Wenstedt-Pulles, having done the job before , was asked to act as Master of Ceremonies during
the dedication of a memorial to the crew members of a Lancaster bomber airplane which crashed near Meerlo, The Netherlands on June 13, 1944.

The sole survivor of the crash, Wireless Operator Sgt Jack Trend, was present to unveil the monument. Three nephews of Rear Gunner
Sgt Richard Mobbs were also there as was a contingent of 15th Squadron Royal Air Force to give tribute to their comrades.

The weather was in our favor. WWII vehicles from the group Santa Fe enabled us to find ourselves back in 1944. And a large crowd of local
people, young and old, showed family members and squadron members that people still care to hold the sacrifice made dear to their hearts.
A worthy and dignified closure for Jack, whose wish came true.

***May 31st, June 1st***
The Foundation was represented during European Trigger Time Convention II - location this time in Eerde, The Netherlands.
For those readers who are unfamiliar with the word: Trigger Time is a term used by author Mark Bando on his website.
The European visitors and forum participants of Mark's site organised their first European convention in Belgium, with Mark's acknowledgement.
And they decided it was time for a second one, this time in The Netherlands.

***May 25th***MEMORIAL DAY
MEMORIAL DAY in The Netherlands is traditionally celebrated on a small patch of farmland in the South of the country where American servicemen
rest who were killed in action during WWII - the U.S. military cemetary in Margraten, close to the town of Maastricht.

Like every year, members of the Foundation went to pay their respect and give a floral tribute to a few of the more than 8000 men with whom
we have a special bond. And like every year, it's astonishing to see the number of people who come to do the same. Unlike remarks and observations
on how Memorial Day in the United States is becoming a holiday weekend without a meaning to the majority of the people, we witnessed young and old,
family members and different nationalities to do the same as we did : pay tribute, give thanks and keeping the memory alive of those men who
died for our freedom.

Although across the border in Belgium, Bastogne isn't that far away from Margraten cemetary. So, with the sun on our backs, we headed for the
town which too holds the memory alive of the sacrifice made. We visited the Peace Woods real quick, and witnessed how some trees grow faster
than others...and, again traditionally, ended the day with a superb steak dinner at Le Nut's restaurant at Place McAuliffe:

***May 11th***
On May 4th the Foundation participated in the Memorial ceremony at the 501 PIR monument in Eerde, honoring the dead and missing of ALL wars with flowers.

***May 1st***
Traditionally, the Screaming Eagles of WWII Foundation has a strong connection with the American 101st Airborne Division.
In WWII, the Screaming Eagles of the 101st liberated the city of Eindhoven on the 18th September 1944 during Operation Market-Garden.
Thus, Eindhoven became the first city in The Netherlands in WWII liberated by the 101st. And since WWII the citizens of Eindhoven have been
celebrating their liberation annually on the 18th of September.

However, not all of The Netherlands was liberated during Operation Market-Garden. The operation was unsuccesful due to "a bridge too far" at the
city of Arnhem. This resulted in a liberated Southern part of The Netherlands and a German occupied Northern part between September 1944 and
May 5, 1945. The Dutch people in this German occupied Northern part (including the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam) went through a horrendous
ordeal that winter - in Dutch we call it "Hunger Winter" - as the German supply lines were cut. Pictures of little children scooping out the large soup vats after distribution, human remains frozen in the streets of Rotterdam and recipes with tulip bulbs as the main ingredient (NO JOKE)
are silent proof of this.

As a result of this, we celebrate our liberation from the Nazi yoke nationally and annually on MAY 5th.
On the evening of the 4th, we remember our war dead (and missing). At 20.00 hours (8 PM) The Netherlands is silent for 2 minutes.
There is a national committee, sponsored by the Dutch government which has four main tasks: REMEMBRANCE, CELEBRATING FREEDOM, WAR
MONUMENTS and EDUCATION.
Although only in Dutch, we invite you to have a look at : Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 Mei

And even though we celebrate our liberation in the Operation Market Garden area of The Netherlands with vigour during the September month,
there are many places in the South which hold remembrance and liberation festivities on May 4 and 5.
One of these places is Eerde, where the soldiers of the 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st fought in WWII.
The Airborne Committee Eerde has the following programme for the evening of Sunday May 4, 2008:

***21st April***
From April 9-12, five members of the Foundation attended the 31st Static Line in Atlanta, GA. The ALL AIRBORNE organiser of this
event, Mr Don Lassen, graciously invited us to present ourselves and our activities again.

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Another highlight for the Foundation's Director of US Operations, Joseph M. Bossi en the new President of the Foundation,
Petra Wenstedt-Pulles, was the reception given by our firemen friends in the Washington DC area. Participants on Operation
Torch 2007, they opened their hearts and their homes in friendship. THANK YOU GUYS!

Back row: Tim Redington & Dick Winters**********************F.l.t.r.: Tim Redington, Petra Wenstedt-Pulles, Richard Winters,
Front: Richard Sterne, Petra Wenstedt-Pulles & Joseph Bossi*****Joseph Bossi, Richard Sterne and Robert Purdy**********
**********

And there was more to come: a retirement dinner with the District of Columbia Fire Department. What an experience! What a
hospitality! And a big treat with the Emerald Society Pipes & Drums!

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Still another surprise awaited Joseph Bossi and Petra Wenstedt-Pulles : Richard Winters, who has been much involved for caring for
the wounded soldiers of the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions had a visit in store to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC.

A very emotional experience. Click picture below to read more about this visit and the different programs for these soldiers.

***30th March***
Time to get ready for the STATIC LINE reunion in Atlanta, Georgia where the complete Board of Governors will
represent the Foundation together with our US Director of Operations, Joseph M. Bossi. Their main goal will be
to promote OPERATION TORCH 2008, but there's no doubt there will be enough time to have great fun too!
A report will follow on their return.

***17th February***
Another new story has been added to the section "Tales of WWII".
WWII veteran Arthur J. Schmitz shared his experience of Christmas 1944 in Bastogne, Belgium with us.

***16th February***
A new story has been added to the section "Tales of WWII".
Read excerpts from the letters written home by Andrew E. Tuck III, Lieutenant in the 101st Airborne Division, 506 PIR, F. Co.

***31st January 2008***
A new Board of Governors was chosen and installed:
* Petra Wenstedt-Pulles - president
* Frits Janssen - treasurer
* Leoni Wenstedt - secretary
* Joseph M. Bossi - US Director of Operations
New board members: Jolanda Pulles-Princen and Barry Pulles

Unanomously Nell Pulles-Van Merwijk was appointed honorary member of the Foundation and Board of Governors.
Nell is the widow of Pete Pulles, author of the series booklets Screaming Eagles of WWII and Honored Dead. She has been a
driving force behind the Foundation since it's start in 2001.

***16th January 2008****
We are proud to announce that the new version of the serie booklets SCREAMING EAGLES OF WWII
by P.M. Pulles is now available. With a complete new lay-out and more space for details, many corrections and
additions to the original data have been made. (The booklet Honored Dead is expected at the end of this month)

Special thanks to mr Gerard Fonteyn who shared his research and information on medals and
dates deceased post WWII.
SALES

****13th January 2008****
Most of the "latest news" items have been filed and a report was posted today on the 30th Memorial Walk held on December 15th,
2007. Four members of the Foundation participated, honoring the men of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment.

****2nd January 2008****
On our TO DO-list for 2008 is to start an archive of the Foundation's activities.
At the end of this page you will find our "old" latest news. In time, this will include our
old newsletters too in pdf-files. In order to receive our latest issue of the newsletter, please
register as a sponsor to the Foundation. You'll find more information here:
DONATIONS

Entrance to the PEACE WOODS
	PEACE WOODS : Bastogne, Belgium
	Le Nut's Restaurant and The tank on Place McAuliffe