ROME FALLS                   

 

Rome fell on June 5: on the sixth the Normandy invasion overshadowed the Roman victory The newsmen threw away their Roman copy and concentrated instead on Operation Overlord: the landings on the Normandy Beaches.

 After the fall of Rome the battle casualties were sent to hospitals farther north, but we were still kept busy with other types of medical problems, and with personnel coming through Caserta on their way to other deployments. We also took care of the military at headquarters in the palace and at the nearby airbase. We still had little idea of what was going on elsewhere in the combat theatres. As the Allies moved north I was able to visit some of the cities we had occupied. I went to Rome several times on Army trucks.  I even got chance to attend a Papal Audience. The Pope even blessed some religious items I had bought for Catholic friends back home. Luckily I had an aisle seat, and he turned to me as he passed. Rome was in fairly good shape, except for the railroad yards, German headquarters, and one of the aqueducts outside the city limits. Rome was full of soldiers doing the tourist bit.

                                                                                                           ROME

 

SORRENTO LOOKING TOWARD VESUVIUS

 

R AND R IN SORRENTO

 

 

Good Friends

 In July 1944,  I had R and R in Sorrento. I spent my leave with a Ruth Anderson, a nurse from Wisconsin who was off at the same time.  She had worked on some sensitive matters at Fort Detrick, Maryland before joining our unit. I never told Sara. I felt guilty, but I was also glad to have someone to be with. To avoid court martial for dating an officer, I had to make arrangements to meet in Sorrento. There were other Army men and nurses at the Hotel Sorrento where we stayed.  The local people were very happy to have American dollars. We were impressed by the fact that there were very few Italian men in Sorrento. They had all been taken away by the Germans. Many went to the Russian front.  Others went to concentration camps. The area was beautiful---  like nothing I had ever dreamed of.  Even though the war was at its height, we really partied for the three days that we were there. Ruth taught me to do the tango. We drank wine and danced, although the food was nothing to write home about. There was an elevator from the upper floors down to the beach. Once on the bay we were able to take a boat to Capri, where we saw the Blue Grotto. We also visited Pompeii. We were still wary  of the Italians; after all, they had recently been our enemies. , but we enjoyed our stay.

Ruth and I met after the war one or two times, and I met her family. For some time we wrote to each other.  Eventually we lost touch.  I remember her as a kind, fun loving companion; very bright and compassionate. Once again, Bill missed the boat.