Michael Broadhead from the Office Of History, Army Corps of Engineers, has just sent me this link. Something that I certainly did not know and surely something that all of you will enjoy reading. Let's hear it for combat engineers and the boys of summer!

Warren Spahn

Marion,

I just couldn't resist it. I couldn't wait to announce that I registered a name for my website. I couldn't decide on a name. I wanted to use something like "ItalyWW2" or more specific "ItalyWW2-1944-45" but my expert web designer said numbers were not good in a website name.

I first heard the term "Custermen" while reading Paul Schultz's history "The 85th Infantry Division in WW2". I've used it as my screen name on this forum and many other websites and chat rooms. The word is plural as it remembers ALL the soldiers who served in the 85th Division. And if I used the name "Custerman" then they would think I was claiming to be one of them.

So, here is the intro page that opens into my website. I hope you can update your Links and use this. It will still have a menu that will lead to other general information on the Italian Campaign from May 1944 to May 1945.

Custermen

Also, I welcome any suggestions about how to improve the opening page. Drop me an email with any comments.

Thanks,

Steve

Thank you John Fallon, 36th Combat Engineer for sending this link to me. If you guys can get through it without even shedding a hint of a tear...

http://www.forest.ws/WeSupportU.htm

, only one finger and I still screwed up Here we go again

AIR FORCE TRAINEES CAMP AT MIAMI HOTELS

April 1, 1942 The government has notified Miami hotel owners that the Air Force

will be taking over many of the city's 300 resort hotels to house up to

30,000 trainees.

The men will be run through a training center--dubbed by the cadets

"Camp Miami Beach"---that will graduate non-flying officer trainees at the rate of 1,000 a day.

This article was in Detroit News April 1,1942

I have a diary and I stayed in Netherland Hotel and it was across the street foom

the Atlatic Ocean. Marching was done on paved roads and other training done on golf courses

Art

Any one have the straight dope on B-17 ball turret? I was told that the ball turret

could not be raised up into the plane.At one air show I was told that the ball turret

could be raised into the plane. I read about a plane could not drop the wheels and the ball turret man was killed.

~~~--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ball turret on a B-17 did not retract into the fuselage like the ball turret on the B-24. Here is a pic of the 17's ball turret from inside the plane. (http://www.flightjournal.com/FJ/plane_profiles/b-17g/b17g_10_waist.asp) Here is a pic of the ball turret that is retracted on the 24. (http://www.b24bestweb.com/ballgun2.htm)

Here is a great site for the Sperry Ball Turret. (http://www.softwhale.com/history/b-17/ball-turret.html)

There were several incidents where gunners were killed because the ball would be jammed and they could not get out.