11/15/43: The Private Snafu cartoon, “The Home Front” is released: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siEK24Pq2xc
11/15/43 Mission:
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): XII Air Support Command B-25's bomb Kalamaki airfield in Greece, and its fighters patrol the battle area. Other NATAF fighters hit road traffic S of Ancona, Italy.
11/15/43 Mission:
TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): B-25's bomb the airfields at Sibenik, Yugoslavia and Eleusis, Greece; the latter mission is escorted by Fifteenth Air Force P-38's.
11/16/43, Italy
Honey:
What a life. Pilots come and pilots go and I go on forever. I’ve learned one thing. When there isn’t any work I get out of camp. It makes things easier.
Say, remember the Italian song “Funiculi funicula?” Well, I’ve got its complete history. It’s real name is “Napoli”. Napoli is a glorified resort town and the people specialize in being gay. The chorus is “Jamme, jamme, n’coppa a funiculi, funicular, etc.” Translated from Napolitana, which is part Spanish and part Italian, “jamme” means “let’s go,” “n’coppa” means up to, and “funicular” is the Italian name for the kind of gear tracked cable car used to go from the bottom of Vesuvius up to the top. In other words, going up on the big blow hole is quite an excursion and some Joe wrote a song about it! [See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6jmCECj7cY
I’ve talked with Italians old and young, educated, poor, professional soldiers and professional men. They all tell the same bitter story. Fascism was shoved down their throats, using starvation as a wedge. The good fascists ate well and had all they wanted. The other 90% have been without new clothes for 3 years, sans soup, toothpaste, and actually bread.
The Italian is governed more by emotion than by rules. As a soldier, neither the officer nor the men wanted a war against the allies and their apathy reflected on their work. In addition, and I can bear this out by personal knowledge, Jerry gave them inferior equipment as a steady diet.
It is the opinion of the better class Italian that a personal feud between Eden and Mussolini was the cause of the initial break. This was made over the veto of all of Mussolini’s staff and the open will of the people.
There seems to be a great deal of enthusiasm for a new government patterned after and policed by ours. They want no part of their king, fascism, or any European power.
On the other side of the picture are the Yugoslav and Greek prisoners of war who have only recently come out of the local prison camps. Some of these hate all Italians, others only despise the Fascists. Trying to divorce each man from his personal hatred of a few individuals and make all see the future in a reasonable perspective will be a colossal task.
One thing I know which will help the situation is that the American soldier is universally loved. Every place an American convoy stops you will find a batch of kids sitting around and on at least a dozen G.I.’s. Even the stoic Arab has a liking for the American soldier which he has not for any other.
Lt. Vulcano, scion of the Italian family which has adopted me, spent about 2 hours last night explaining verb endings, agreement of adjectives and nouns, etc. His 3 daughters, son, and wife said it was more fun to let me talk my horrible grammar than to teach me to speak properly. He insisted that an educated man shouldn’t run around splitting infinitives, even though only in the country a month. Honey, you’d love these people. Pappa is a pilot from the last war and has been in the Carabinieri Reali [Italian National Police force], since then. He is well educated and son of a Baron. Mamma, although about 40, is still a hell of a good looking woman. When Pappa first saw her, he tossed over his baronetcy without any hesitation. Maria, “Pupa”, the 19 yr old big sister is a
knock out. She has a hell of a time keeping the other three in line. They razz her so much about being ugly, which she is far from, that she is pleasantly non-conceited. Lilliano, 17, is a tomboy from way back. Her father says she gave him no end of trouble slugging German officers (including a major) who dared speak to her. Rita, 16, is the quiet angelic type—not sissy at all. Nino, the 10 yr old brother is just a typical kid. He studies his Latin every night, says good night at 9 o’clock, and is a perfect gentleman. It is also well known that he can take care of himself in a fist fight. I let him put on my full winter flying equipment one night, and boy, was he hepped up.
Pappa likes my military bearing, especially while dancing. Momma likes the coffee I bring once in a while as well as having that old maternal instinct mammas get when they see my ugly puss. They are living in the police barracks and I seem to be the only one invited into same. Pappa says I am “un diavola,” [a devil] and should be shot at sight. Lilliano is made up just like Mary Huntoon and razzes hell out of me in the same way. Rita thinks it is all very confusing. Nino specializes in covering me with his gang whenever I go. Two of the kids, little Rita whom I mentioned before, and 7 yr old Antonio, have their fathers in PW camps. They’re completely starved for paternal affection, and I seem to have been able to help somewhat.
Last night I saw something new. The rain had just stopped where a complete rainbow formed from the moon! It didn’t have all of the color of the rainbow, but was semicircular and ended in the ground. The ring around the moon is common and would be a circular rainbow if from the sun. But I’ve never seen the other type or even heard of it before.
We had a terrific cross wind yesterday and the old A-20 got tossed around like the PT’s I used to fly at Curtiss. One of these days I will have to fly another type of airplane, and I sure hate the thought of it. I guess I can do it but it will be almost as hard as saying goodbye to Johny or some other old friend.
Oh, nuts. Grp has just swiped another jeep. My transportation section is priceless, and as a result, we have always had more in commission than other outfits.
Nuts, I’m mad so I’ll stop. All my love, Cy
P.S. By the time you get this it will be one year since you promised me as soon as you got to Chi you would see Doc Sheaff. You’ve put it off for school, work, and dental work. I hope you don’t put it off again for your trip. You’re not always going to be where you can have such excellent medical attention. Cy.