Memorial Day Tribute....

[Box and one]

Been doing this here for awhile now....wish I could find my old posts and just bring it up....From 1956-1966 I lived at Camp Darby in Livorno,Italy...I went to a US Army dependent school.. Camp Darby Elementary ....every Memorial Day we had a school trip to the Florence Cemetery to put { think it was red poppies and flags}.. Florence was an hour away from the Army base. I went from 2nd grade to 4th grade...memory is somewhat fuzzy but remember more about our lunches...P&J with not enough jelly and kool aid with not much sugar...how I can remember that and can't find my phone or car keys today..
The cemetery was such a great site...we spent about 3 hours there with 2-3 busloads of kids..its also where I found out why some graves had stars instead of crosses...they were jewish....there are several there.. you tube American Cemetery videos have a few ...hopefully this one can get downloaded..if not maybe someone can find it and download it here....the sad part about the Cemetery is that bus loads of American Tourists will pass right by it on the autostada to go to see Florence...no bus stop...some tour guides will say something " on your left we are now passing the American Cemetery on your left or right...but no buses stop...that is the saddest part...these 4,400 American died so " you tourist can go see " Ponte Vecchio and David...anyway if you watch this aerial view you can see how beautiful this sacred place is....hope everyone has a safe memorial day...

and thank you for your comments watching my interview...think it got over 500 views on facebook

https://youtu.be/reOgwgLimzI

 

[Box and one]

It worked :0074

 

[Dog lover]

Tony,
Thanks for bringing reality to what is just a holiday to some.
DL

 

[MadJack]

Been doing this here for awhile now....wish I could find my old posts and just bring it up....From 1956-1966 I lived at Camp Darby in Livorno,Italy...I went to a US Army dependent school.. Camp Darby Elementary ....every Memorial Day we had a school trip to the Florence Cemetery to put { think it was red poppies and flags}.. Florence was an hour away from the Army base. I went from 2nd grade to 4th grade...memory is somewhat fuzzy but remember more about our lunches...P&J with not enough jelly and kool aid with not much sugar...how I can remember that and can't find my phone or car keys today..
The cemetery was such a great site...we spent about 3 hours there with 2-3 busloads of kids..its also where I found out why some graves had stars instead of crosses...they were jewish....there are several there.. you tube American Cemetery videos have a few ...hopefully this one can get downloaded..if not maybe someone can find it and download it here....the sad part about the Cemetery is that bus loads of American Tourists will pass right by it on the autostada to go to see Florence...no bus stop...some tour guides will say something " on your left we are now passing the American Cemetery on your left or right...but no buses stop...that is the saddest part...these 4,400 American died so " you tourist can go see " Ponte Vecchio and David...anyway if you watch this aerial view you can see how beautiful this sacred place is....hope everyone has a safe memorial day...

and thank you for your comments watching my interview...think it got over 500 views on facebook

https://youtu.be/reOgwgLimzI

Thanks. :toast:

 

[RAYMOND]

Thanks. :toast:

:0074

 

[Livin'tillthEnd]

Been doing this here for awhile now....wish I could find my old posts and just bring it up....From 1956-1966 I lived at Camp Darby in Livorno,Italy...I went to a US Army dependent school.. Camp Darby Elementary ....every Memorial Day we had a school trip to the Florence Cemetery to put { think it was red poppies and flags}.. Florence was an hour away from the Army base. I went from 2nd grade to 4th grade...memory is somewhat fuzzy but remember more about our lunches...P&J with not enough jelly and kool aid with not much sugar...how I can remember that and can't find my phone or car keys today..
The cemetery was such a great site...we spent about 3 hours there with 2-3 busloads of kids..its also where I found out why some graves had stars instead of crosses...they were jewish....there are several there.. you tube American Cemetery videos have a few ...hopefully this one can get downloaded..if not maybe someone can find it and download it here....the sad part about the Cemetery is that bus loads of American Tourists will pass right by it on the autostada to go to see Florence...no bus stop...some tour guides will say something " on your left we are now passing the American Cemetery on your left or right...but no buses stop...that is the saddest part...these 4,400 American died so " you tourist can go see " Ponte Vecchio and David...anyway if you watch this aerial view you can see how beautiful this sacred place is....hope everyone has a safe memorial day...

and thank you for your comments watching my interview...think it got over 500 views on facebook

https://youtu.be/reOgwgLimzI

yes sir, I cringe every time I hear "mattress Memorial day sale" or something like that...thank you Box :0008

 

[Blitz]

Thanks for posting!

 

[The Joker]

..

 

[Terryray]

Thanks Box!...after watching the video and snooping around YouTube, I came across this excellent documentary "These Hallowed Grounds" (PBS) on all those overseas US military cemeteries. Lots of moving stories and combat footage and pictures...The fine segment on The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial is at the 32'16" mark.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ORmdZjgRR-w" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Double Two]

Have seen many different tributes today but this picture Joker, well it just breaks my heart.
May God Bless Our Fallen Heroes :00x21 :00x21 :00x21

 

[Jaxx]

Freedom is not Free!


:00x21:00x21

 

[Batman]

:00x21:x31:

 

[Box and one]

Thanks guys,,
Terryray...thanks for adding the PBS special . I saw it way back on TV...forgot they mention Florence...my father served in Clark's 5th Army, He was a part of AMG...allied military goverment...because he spoke fluent Italian and taught it at Teddy Roosevelt High School in the Bronx he was recruited by AMG...in 1944 as the 5th Army invaded Sicily and southern Italy he was responsible for going into Italian villages and establishing a government. He had about 20 soldiers under him and they would bring flour and food to the people...they would arrest all the fascist..a lot of the Italians wanted to hang many of the villagers that sided with the Germans...my father would go to the priest and get the real info...there were about 30 AMG officers in Italy...John Hersey won the Pulitzer Prize in his book about my father and his fellow officers..the book was called " the Bell for Adano"...Hersey tagged along another AMG officer and wrote a book about him.. My father did know the officer who Hersey followed...I always remember my father saying the movie was good but it became a romantic story...

On June 5th 1944 Clarks 5th Army enters rome...1st conqueror to capture Rome since Attila the Hun [ or someone like that} My father took a bus from Naples that day..then outside of Rome was put in a jeep..Clark had a "big head" and wanted to enter Rome as the savior behind all his marching troops,tanks,jeeps and trucks..1,000 of people waved and cheered as the 5th Army marched in...about half way into Rome the parade makes the wrong turn and goes away from the Victor Emanuel Monument where the ceremony was supposed to take place..now my father told me this story but about 30 years ago but I read a book about WW2 and Rome...he was right so it is recorded....someone in front of the parade who doesn't know Roman streets had to stop the march...they asked a bystander on his bike " which way to the Emanuel monument...he told them go 2 blocks down and make a left...you'll see it...and that is what the entire parade did...lol
Now lets remember its June 5th...Clark gets the headlines all over the world/ " Rome Captured"...but the next day its June 6th D-Day...Studs Turkel the great writer wrote about Clark " headlines for a day,back pages for a lifetime"..
Talk about bad timing...everyone forgot about Rome...D-day took the headlines for the rest of the war..
My father stayed that night at the Nord Roma Hotel a 4 star hotel...that is where they put all the AMG officers...little did he know he would be there until 1946. He became part of an investigated team of AMG officers on the Andreaten Caves Massacre where a few months before 300 Italians were rounded up and shot and buried outside of Rome..The Italian underground killed 30 SS officers marching in Rome...Hitler had 10 Italians killed for every SS officers...many Italians who sided and helped the Germans would now be arrested...then when that investigation ended he became a part of the educational group to change the Italian school curriculum back away from Fascism... he stayed in Italy almost 8 months after the war was over....got his job back teaching in NYC in '46 but something called the United Nations started...worked for the UN for almost 40 years and in '56-66 was stationed in Italy....amazing life....my nephew years ago did a "living interview with him for 2 hours" I have never seen it..maybe this year I will....I really don't need it because he told all these stories to me....and when we went to Rome to visit we always stayed at the Nord Roma hotel..they treated him like god...