LATEST NEWS 2010 LAATSTE NIEUWS 2010

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*** July 18th, 2010 ***
The date and promotional leaflet for the Bastogne Memorial Walk has been posted.
2010 heralds a new organisation of this well known Memorial Walk. It seems that WWII veteran and initiator of the walk, Mr M. Sperandieu, has stepped down to younger generations to
keep the memory alive.
THANK YOU, Maurice Sperandieu, for all your hard work. Let's make him proud, people, by showing up this year in memory of those who fought for our freedom.
And good luck City of Bastogne and USAG Benelux in your joint effort. We'll see you in Bastogne on December 11th, 2010!

Although a little late, very nice pictures of Memorial Day in Washington DC, hosted by the National Capital Area Chapter of the 101st ABN Division Association:

Ready to go: f.l.t.r. Petra Wenstedt-Pulles, CSM Joseph M. Bossi (Ret), mr John Keene and mr Ben Infuso	Joey Bossi, always ready to provide the WWII entourage.
	Mrs and Mr Harry Nivens and Joey Bossi, after Harry gave a speech at the National WWII memorial. Standing in front of the Gold Star wall overlooking the George Washington monument.
Right: the 101st Airborne Division memorial on Arlington Drive before the ceremony and the wreaths waiting in line.
	The webmaster's favorite: part of the Korean War memorial. Very impressive in the mists.
Petra Wenstedt-Pulles, chairperson of the Screaming Eagles of WWII Foundation, presenting a check of $ 750 to mr Richard Winters (middle), flanked by CSM Joseph M. Bossi (Ret).		The $ 750 were the nett proceeds from the Airborne Memorial Walk which was held on September 20th, 2009 in Eerde, The Netherlands. The money will be used by mr Winters and his group towards support for the wounded warriors and their families in Walter Reed hospital.

*** July 5th, 2010 ***
Correction from Reg and mr D'Hoffschmidt on who deserves credit for restoring and cleaning up the Native American soldier memorial:
THANK YOU Annick and Eddy and the rest of the group who organise the Indian camp at the annual festival - THANK YOU for keeping the memory alive.

*** July 4th, 2010 ***
Independence Day - an important day in the U.S. commemmorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.
Enjoy the day...and the freedom that goes with it.

***NEWSFLASH from Belgium:
Our good friend, Reg Jans, informed us that the "vandalized" memorial for the Native American Soldiers in Recogne, Belgium was restored recently by mr D'Hoffschmidt.
The memorial is on the WWII 3/506 PIR lines near Fazone woods, South of Recogne near Bastogne, and honors all Native Americans who fought to liberate Belgium.
Thank you, mr D'Hoffschmidt and thank you, Reg, for letting us know that people still care after all these years.

***A "must see" link to a video on the 101st Airborne Division based at FOB Wilderness in Afghanistan: www.liveleak.com

***Two new book reviews:

HORSE SOLDIERS by Doug Stanton The dramatic account of a small band of U.S. Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Copyright 2009 by Reed City Productions, LLC - ISBN 978-1-4165-8051-5 - Scribner, USA

LASTING LEGACY - The Joe E. Mann story by Rae Anna Victor A compilation of history, news, information on dedications in the US and The Netherlands concerning pfc Joe Eugene Mann, Medal of Honor recipient. On September 19th, 1944 near Best in The Netherlands, Joe Mann (101st Airborne, 502 PIR/H co.), wounded and unable to toss back a German grenade which landed nearby, threw himself onto it, saving the lives of his comrades. Copyright 2010 Rae Anna Victor - ISBN 978-0-922993-92-5 -Marquette Books, LLC, Spokane, Washington, USA

*** June 13th, 2010 ***
Taking you back to the event Operation Liberty Force organised by Living History Assn The Screaming Ducks for a bird's eye view.
ENJOY...photographs by Rob Prophitius. A job well done.

*** June 5th, 2010 ***
On the eve of yet another anniversary commemmoration for D-Day in Normandy, a look back on Memorial Day.
WASHINGTON DC, U.S.A.:
Chairperson Petra Wenstedt-Pulles was kindly offered to attend the Memorial Day ceremonies in Washington D.C., hosted by the National Capital Area Chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Association. On Saturday 29th May, wreaths were laid at the national WWII memorial, the Korean war memorial, and at the Vietnam memorial. (More pictures to follow.)

(L) On Sunday 30th, over 40 wreaths were laid at the 101st Airborne Division monument on Memorial Drive at Arlington. (R) One of them in honor of those 101st men who were killed or missing in action in The Netherlands during WWII by CSM Joseph M. Bossi (Ret) and Petra Wenstedt-Pulles on behalf of the Screaming Eagles of WWII Foundation. (Photo's courtesy of the National Capital Area Chapter of the 101st Airborne Division Assn).

MARGRATEN, The Netherlands:
Queen Beatrix, as she does so often, attended the Memorial Day services at U.S. cemetery Margraten in The Netherlands. Thousands came to pay their respect, despite the horrible weather which prevented the customary fly-by in missing-man formation.

(Photo's courtesy of our friend Tom Timmermans a.k.a. Battledetective).

One of our sponsors, mr Hans Kroon, published a beautiful report on the ceremonies at Margraten in the International Kroon Times nr. 59.
Thank you Hans for your permission to post!

*** May 18th, 2010 ***
As you may already know, the 101st Airborne Division is in the process of a new deployment to Afghanistan. In order to give you ideas on how you can support the men you hold dear to your heart, we invite you to have a look at this gentle reminder.

*** May 13th, 2010 ***
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the famous attack on the Belgium fortress Eben-Emael, a large event will be held on 16th May 2010.
Information available through Fortissimus.

*** May 9th, 2010 ***
Sad news also, received yesterday, from Tom Sewell, president of the 101st Airborne Division Association:
"To All Screaming Eagles and Friends of the 101st Airborne Division Association,
It is with deep sadness that we report to you that Sam Bass, our Executive Secretary and Treasurer from 2005 to 2009, passed away this morning at 8:32 am.

Sam was suffering from cancer that had spread throughout his body. He fought a hearty battle for the past several years with this terrible disease.
He joined us at Snowbird this past February and terrorized everyone on his scooter. He was a very generous man with a great big heart.
He will be missed immensely. Sam's Memorial and Funeral Services will be on Saturday, May 15, 2010. Services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints at 801 Lafayette Blvd. in Clarksville, TN 37042. The Memorial Service will begin at 9 am with the funeral to follow at 11 or 12. Sam will be buried with full Military Honors at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Hopkinsville. His pall bearers will be the youth that he has helped.
Sam and his family have asked that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Screaming Eagle Support Fund to help soldiers in need or the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. We will always remember Sam Bass, the man who "was a soldier, is a soldier and will always be your soldier!"

*** May 8th, 2010 ***
Jim Huwe, proud son of Elroy V. HUWE (WWII 501 PIR HQ), informed us of the passing away of his father last month.

Jim agrees with us that the stories these troopers have to tell should not be forgotten. You'll find part of Elroy's memoirs as the latest
addition to our section Tales of WWII. Thank you very much, Jim and family, for sharing.

*** May 5th, 2010 ***
Today we celebrate our National Liberation Day in The Netherlands - the 65th anniversary of the regaining of our freedom!

A great opportunity to add the latest news:

5:
This morning, our secretary Leoni, was invited to hold a presentation on World War Two in "Den Eerdbrand", a home for senior citizens in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Although she felt a little strange to be explaining Operation Market Garden to people who were children in that time period, she did great. We are proud of you, Leoni!

4:


The Dutch Living History Group "The Screaming Ducks" organised a large event in order to celebrate the 65th anniversary of our liberation
in Wijk bij Duurstede, The Netherlands. Our Foundation was there for some sales and promotion.
Unfortunately the weather wasn't cooperating which made the days chilly and the nights definitely COLD.
Hospitality, friendship, remembrance and dedication kept participants, veterans and guests warm though.

The Screaming Ducks are busy today with our national celebrations...so here's our photo impression:

Wijk bij Duurstede in The Netherlands, is a small town at the South West tip of an area in between rivers in the middle of Holland. During WWII this area was nicknamed "The Island" by the soldiers of the US 101st Airborne Division.		There is much to admire in Wijk bij Duurstede, which dates back to Roman times.
	View on the harbor with a Dutch marine ship from the 60's. In the background the WWII camp.
	You need to be tough to become a Screaming Duck :)
	And you need to be able to pitch your tent in rain and stormy weather, use your needle and carry a machine gun around
	In a joint venture with Pathfinder Parachute Group Europe, a few troopers dared to jump in the rain and heavy winds. Each one of them was wet but safe.

3:
On Friday, July 9th, 2010 the dedication ceremony will be held for the 1/502 monument at Ft. Campbell, KY (U.S.A.).
Everyone is invited to attend this special event, including those who may be attending the 101st Airborne Division Vietnam Veterans
Organization reunion. For details on how to register, please contact your webmaster.

2.
A new initiative was taken which aims for a coordinating role in liberation events in the Operation Market Garden area in The Netherlands:
the Platform Operation Market Garden Foundation was introduced on April 28th, 2010. Good luck, Harry, Henk and Henk , in your future
endeavours. No website yet...but we are patiently waiting.

1:
The 506th Airborne Infantry Regiment Association announces many new 506th-related items for sale in order to support their association.
All sales can be found in the Quartermaster Section of their website. Be sure to take a peek!

*** April 18, 2010 ***
1. Another WWII eagle soared: John Agnew (101st ABN Div/506 PIR).
An article by Ron Todt on www.seattlepi.com - word document

2. An amazing story (author unknown) on a Vietnam Currahee: Brad Braughton.

3. The release of a new U.S. postage stamp honoring the famous WWII cartoonist Bill Mauldin.

*** March 30, 2010 ***

Military joke: military language conversion chart

*** March 10, 2010 ***

Last week, we received the sad news of another WWII Eagle passing away. The news touched our hearts as we had recently met
Mr Cassidy at the Snowbird reunion in Orlando, FL. Please keep this liberator in your prayers as you express your gratitude for our freedom:

John W. Cassidy, Sept. 16, 1921 - Feb. 28, 2010

From the obituary: A veteran of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne, 506th Regiment Headquarters Company during World War II, he was a Purple Heart recipient wounded in Holland in 1944, and he was a part of the D-Day invasion as a paratrooper.

*** February 24, 2010 ***

A nice delegation of the Screaming Eagles of WWII Foundation attented the 101st Airborne Division Association's Snowbird reunion
in Orlando Florida from 18-20 February.

A photo impression of the meeting with friends:

	left: A view of the Wyndham grounds right: Meeting up with Past President Joseph M. Bossi (l)and Vice President Harold (A.J.) Murdock (r) below from left to right: 1. (l) Betty Taylor Hill and (r) chairperson Petra Wenstedt-Pulles 2. GATORLAND 3. hospitality room
	left: (f.l.t.r.) Vinnie Vicari, Charlie Gant and secretary Leoni Wenstedt right: Still a Band of Brothers below from left to right: 1. Oh, oh 2. speech by chairperson Petra Wenstedt 3. Friendship
	text speech
	left: SEAWORLD right: Going home, surrounded by NUTS (M & M's World)

*** February 9, 2010 ***

Still available:

	and
Battle of the Bulge challenge coin 65th anniversary sold in protective case 5 euro's each (excl. shipping) contact Patrick Brion		Airborne Demonstration Team WWII Airborne Legends Calendar 2010 Europe : 10 Euro + 4 Euro S&H = 14 Euro US : 13 USD + 8.5 USD S&H = 21.5 USD (Shipped from Europe ) contact Reg Jans

*** January 26, 2010 ***

April 30 and May 1
Re-enactment group 40-45 organises an event called OPERATION LUCKY STRIKE in Waldadrift - Bedum (Northern part of The Netherlands).
More information through the contact page on their website. Full size poster here.

*** January 24, 2010 ***

February 20 La Gleize museum, Belgium
Memorial walk: "In the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division", this year featuring 504 PIR.

*** January 16, 2010*** - 2 entries

1.
(For background information, see January 9th)
The planning for Monday evening January 11th was a little upset due to the late arrival of the students of Bethel University.
Around 20.00 hours they arrived at the Young Dutch Veteran's house in Eindhoven, where numerous Dutch citizens of the WWII
generation awaited them to share different war experiences.

Thanks to the warm hospitality of the volunteers of the veteran's house, the efforts of the WWII generation, the contributions of
translating friends (one of them, Paul, in WWII paratrooper uniform), and our secretary Leoni, everyone looked back on a great
evening with traditional Dutch "gezelligheid". THANK YOU everyone!
For a report on the evening by the student's, please visit their blog.

On Tuesday, our secretary Leoni, took the student's on a general bus tour of Operation Market Garden, from Best to Arnhem.
Great job, Leoni - we are proud of you!

2.
On Thursday January 14th, an exciting newsflash came in:
****NEWSFLASH****
"Because of lots of internal and external political pressure and negotiations, Belgian Minister of Defense Pieter De Crem made some
significant changes in his plan to close down the HEINTZ BARRACKS in BASTOGNE. The Artillery Unit 1A will no longer exist and 200 people
will have to go and work in other camps BUT 100 soldiers will remain at the barracks to maintain the ‘new’ Historical Depot of the
Belgian Military Museum . Reasons are :
-Deployment
-Historical Reasons
-AND the BARRACKS , the former WWII 101st ABN Div HQ, a Historical Marker"

Great news - great job - THANKS to everyone who wrote, visited, or otherwise put on the pressure.

***January 10, 2010***

Our friend Reg Jans sent an update on the "Nuts" Cellar in Bastogne, Belgium:
" On 11-12-13 Dec 2009 , more than 1500 people visited the “Nuts” Cellar in Bastogne.
We are very grateful and proud for having so much support to keep this historical marker from destruction . THANK YOU !!!!!

The high number of visitors ‘proves’ that many people are interested to visit the HQ where Brig Anthony C. McAuliffe, CO of the 101st ABN ,
replied “NUTS!” to the German demand to surrender on 22 Dec 1944 . Also a Belgian minister visited to Cellar and told us that he started up the procedure to make it a protected building : GREAT ! Minister Pieter De Crem stated in his speech that the Cellar will not be touched
and will remain as a historical place : GREAT ! BUT: -So far these are only words . Nothing on paper yet !!!!! I surely hope they will keep their promises !

What’s going to happen with the building ? Who’s going to take care of it ? Will the men who take care of the Cellar today still be able to continue their great job ? Will it be open for the public , etc….. There are still many many questions to be answered …….too many ..! - The present Army Unit WILL disappear and so will the other buildings . Or will there still be military presence in Bastogne in the future ? - Too many questions and no answers yet but the Mayor is discussing all the possible options with the government ! Time will tell us !!!!! Fingers crossed and again , Thank you all for your support ! Every single one of you had a significant role in this cause . You all made it possible to save this historical building . Reg"

***January 9, 2010***

An exciting new activity hosted by our Foundation:
Monday, January 11th our Foundation will be welcoming students from Bethel University (Minnesota). Our secretary, Leoni Wenstedt,
has put together a programme for J-term students, which concentrates on the main theme of the student's trip: leadership.

The students are tracing the footsteps of E-Co., 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101 Airborne Division in WWII. They have been on
the road now for 6 days and are currently in Normandy, France. You can follow the student's trip on a special blog.

In order to meet Bethel University's request, Leoni organised a special evening for the students on Monday next.
The evening will be held at the Young Dutch Veteran's meeting place and hosted by the Veteran's Foundation - THANK YOU, GUYS!
Object of the evening will be for the students to meet with a number of Dutch citizens who lived, or fought, in WWII. With the help
of the Veteran's Foundation, Leoni was able to contact people from different backgrounds who lived in different parts of The Netherlands
during WWII. They were eager to share their stories with the students. Other friends have offered to interpret this evening (THANK YOU).
And the veterans offered to prepare an Indonesian meal for this evening...ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU.

On Tuesday, Leoni will take the students from Best to Arnhem, showing them the general areas of Operation Market Garden.
Our good friends Ronald, Roby and Reg will take over from Leoni, guiding the students at Margraten cemetary and Bastogne.
THANK YOU TOO, GUYS!

We will follow up with a report on Leoni's efforts.

***January 3, 2010***

Another healthy New Year's resolution: a smile, laugh or chuckle a day.
Taken from 502 Company I Poopsheet, June-July 2007 issue:

"Man driving down road.
Woman driving up same road.
They pass each other.
The woman yells out the window: "PIG"!
Man yells out the window: B***H!
Man rounds next curve. Crashes into a HUGE PIG in middle of road and dies.
Moral: If only men would listen."

***January 2, 2010***

Happy New Year to all - may it be filled with good health and lots of Airborne surprises!

A new color for easier reading and a New Year's resolution to gradually get a Dutch translation for the site online.
Please bear with us as a complete new design will give the site a more professional look during 2010.

And in case your 2010 agenda is still completely empty:
*The 101st Airborne Division Association holds it's famous SNOWBIRD REUNION from February 18-20th in Orlando, FL (USA).
Information and registration through the Association's website. Look under the caption "reunions".
* Our dear friends, Living History Group The Screaming Ducks are celebrating the 65th national anniversary of our liberation with
a large event in Wijk bij Duurstede, The Netherlands. The event is called OPERATION LIBERTY FORCE.
Dates are April 30-May 2 and May 5th. Information and registration through the Screaming Ducks website.

*Celebrating the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII (May 8th, 1945 VE-Day), an event is organised in LANGENORLA, Germany.
Dates are May 7-9th, 2010. Re-enactor groups are invited to join. Information through a pdf-file in English and German.

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