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Static Line - Three Winds of Death

September 1991
While attempting to fully recover from a five-week trip that started with three days in Las Vegas, continued with four days at the 503rd reunion in Phoenix, then skipped over to Hawaii, pressed on to Australia, side-stepped to New Zealand, and then returned for R&R to Hawaii before straggling home I'm not sure whether or not my faculties have recovered enough to put this month's issue of "The Three Winds of Death” together into some reasonable format. One thing that I am certain of, however. Is that George and Carolyn Funk with the little help that they had, did one helluva outstanding job on the 35th annual reunion of the 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team. All who assisted in any way are to be congratulated. I can tell you from experience, having been a small part of the reunion group for the 50th Anniversary in Washington, D. C, that there is a tremendous amount of preparation that has to be laid out and an equal amount of coordination that must come together at the proper time. I cannot say too much good about the efforts put forth and the accomplished results of those people who made our 35th annual reunion so enjoyable. And I am certain that all of those people who attended share in my opinions, especially those 23 "first-timers" who attended. I wanted to get together with George Funk Sunday morning before leaving and get their names, but time just ran out (as it always does when you are having a good time). I will call George before putting together the next column and will attempt to have their names in the October issue. 

DISSA AND DATTA from the reunion: Congratulations to "F " Company for having the most members attending! Tony Sierra was scheduled to go into the hospital for a hip replacement shortly after the reunion. John Pratt is recovering from a recent illness. My wife. Mary, and I derived much enjoyment from having early morning breakfasts on the patio with Ralph Bales. Ralph was the first company commander of "D " Company. We found out first-hand that Ralph is an "Eggs-Benedict" addict. Talked to Sisto Castillo from "B " Company several times and got confirmation from him that the 1st Bn was operating in the San Carlos area during the latter stages of the Negros mission. You will probably be reading much more about this in future columns. It seems that one of the trademarks of the Negros mission was that only a very few people in the 503rd knew where they were at any given time, and most of the troopers never knew where they were at any time. Hugh Breslin unfolded the story to me of how he got assigned to the 503rd. According to Hugh several new arrivals were debarking from LCIs on the beach at Leyte and were scheduled to report to the replacement depot at Tacloban. According to Hugh a colonel came striding across the beach towards some 165 troopers assembled there and told them to get on an LCI pulled up to shore a little further down the beach. Of course, when you have just landed in a strange place in a theater of war operations and a Colonel tells you to go somewhere and to do something you usually follow orders. So. quite naturally and predictably, the group of replacements did exactly what they were told to do by this unknown Colonel, who. of course, at that time was Colonel Jones. So, all of this group ended up in the 503rd. and according to Hugh Breslin. he found out later that they had all been originally heading for the 11th Airborne Division. I asked General Jones about the incident, and General Jones told me that there was no truth in the story whatsoever. But. as you well know, our memories have ways of playing tricks on us. I'd be more than glad to hear from anyone who can back up either side of this little anecdote. 

The accommodations at the Wyndham Paradise Valley Resort were superb, and their meals were excellent. The extracurricular activities, which included a Cowboy Hoe-down at Pinnacle Peak Patio, a tour of a local botanical garden and airplane museum, and a Fiesta Grande at poolside at the Wyndman were enjoyed by all who attended. Thank you, once again, George and Carolyn, and to others who assisted you. Next year it will be on to Rapid City, South Dakota, the Black Hill country, Mt. Rushmore, and the Little Big Horn. I know all of that because I looked In my atlas to locate Rapid City. 

I have just about run out of space for this issue of the Static Line, but I do want to give you a preview of an item that is going to be included in next month's column. At the Phoenix reunion, John Pratt gave me some information concerning the original 503 Bn. prop blast cup. I have also received a letter from Spc. Joe Shackleford of the 504 PIR that his uncle. Joe Heidt. formerly of "D " Battery of the 462nd Parachute Field Artillery had passed on. Remember, you may have been a former member of a certain Airborne group, but there is no such thing as former Airborne! Write 

John D. Reynolds
"D" Co. 503rd PRCT 
718 Towne Center Drive, Joppa, MD 21085 
PH (301) 679-8979
Static Line - Three Winds of Death

InThe503rd.org

503rd PRCT Paratrooper Database, WWII

503rd PIR * 462nd PFAB * 161st PEC
