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Message from the 503rd President... |
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FROM THE FEBRUARY 2011 NEWSLETTER Dear 503er, I feel I need to share with you how I see us dealing with the issue of the preservation and protection of the honor of the 503rd Parachute RCT Association, World War II, Inc. There is a solution that allows our Association to remain undisturbed and able to remain as a Last Man Standing entity, thus keeping the faith with our brothers who have already passed. Our Rock unit was composed of the Infantry Regiment, our Artillery Battalion and our Engineer Company. We are brothers and will remain brothers as long as we live. I personally feel that most others who served in the 503rd WWII feel our Regimental Combat Team is the grandfather of the Lineage and share this love for each other. When our war ended, we all went back to restarting the lives we’d left behind. The Army all but extinguished our PRCT with its decision to focus on the Brigade Combat Teams as their primary combat units. It wasn’t the Brigade that started the Airborne, it was the Regiment, OUR Rock Regiment, that was the founder of the regimental Lineage. Thus I have given our relationship with the 173d Airborne Brigade Association considerable study and thought. The problem is that another unit, derived of a different era, has tried and is still working to replace us, doing their best to gain our position as the parent unit, and relegate us to a group of old men who are disappearing, so they can take over our association. Over the past decade or more, our WWII organization has voted against such action. I have been told by some 173ers that they have everything set up such as bylaws and emblem and that they will “take care of us” if we come in to their association. They are an association where Army rank is still used. I do not want a future where members of the 503d Lineage are anything other than an equal “band of brothers.” During a heated telephone conversation with a representative of the 173d, he indicated that all they had to do was wait us out. Let’s not let this happen! As things stand now, when we 503rd WWII veterans are gone, our future is gone. We have discussed a “503d PRCT Heritage Battalion” which is composed of all those who have a stake in the future of the 503rd Rock regiment (e.g. members of the current 503d only, relatives of the 503rd WWII and others who are interested in our unit.) I know there are a number of those who are interested in this. We have adopted a great internet web site that has allowed us to establish a public view of us. Strangely enough, in the pre-462d days, it was the Aussies who fought together with us and now we have a similar Aussie mate in Paul Whitman. He is the person who set up the website under the umbrella of “503d PRCT Heritage Battalion” and would like to see us get the Heritage Battalion totally up and running. In our discussions, Paul has told me that he would like to donate the name and reputation of the 503d PRCT Heritage Battalion (Bn) website to those of us in the 503rd WWI, and that he will continue to work with the Bn to ensure it has one of the most comprehensive WWII history sites on the internet. I believe that forming a 503d PRCT Heritage Battalion is the way to go. We will write the rules and they will reflect what we of WWII have practiced through the decades of our Association! Let’s help establish the Heritage Bn to ensure that our Rock Regiment, which came of age on The Rock, will be rock solid! If we do nothing, then our reputation is up for grabs to whoever wants to claim control over it. I do not want that to happen. As your Association president, I want to give all the opportunity to be heard. Please let me know your feelings on this issue! Please contact me as soon as you receive this! The success of this endeavor depends upon you and me. I end with “Long live the Rock Regiment.” --Bill Calhoun, President
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