http://www.madjacksports.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2672611
Yesterday, 10:10 AM
Location: Hudson Valley area…..NY
A Father’s Day story……
{Extraneous Deleted}
…but today is a day I think about my father.He passed away 11 years ago in 1999.I’m sure today there are many of you out there that are like me.We are fathers yet we our missing our fathers.In my living room I have a nice enclosed glass case with a small light.I looked at it a few minutes ago….in it are my 1953 Mickey Mantle baseball card,a ’54,55′,56′.A Ted Williams,etc. Also some Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and other figurines..some Norman Rockwell figurines,etc My grandfathers NYC Bus ID and # Trolley Car license and then a whole shelf dedicated to my father.His WW 2 service medals,dog tags,Manhattan College medal,some UN service medals serving in Gaza in ’57 and ’58,Congo in ’65 and in Italy from ’57 to ’67.
My fathers life was very unique….born in Italy and came over when he was 5.Lived in the Arthur Ave section of the Bronx where he grew up.Graduated No 1 in his class at Teddy Roosevelt HS and received a full scholarship to Fordham. Fordham reneged on it and gave the No 2 the full ride.Italian community protested. The Jesuits changed their minds and gave both the full ride.But in the meantime Manhattan College had offered my father the scholarship and he took that over Fordham. When the movie the “Godfather”came out he always said the scene with the horse’s head reminded him of the controversy in 1932…there were some “goodfella’s” in the neighborhood…he thinks maybe a fordham rams head was put in the Monsignor bed and said….” don’t f..k with the Italians…….none of that is true and he made it up but we always joked about it…
Graduated MC in 1936 and got a teaching job his first year teaching Italian and Spanish….at Teddy R HS.When WW 2 broke out he was assigned to the AMG…{allied military government}.He was part of General Clark’s 5th army in the invasion of North Africa and Italy.AMG’s officers went from town to town after the Germans retreated. Their job was to establish order in each city as the Germans were on the run.A Pulitzer book by John Hersey ” A Bell for Adano” was written about my father and another 30 officers like him.He did know the actual AMG officers that Hersey based his story on…On June 5th 1944, Clark entered Rome. My father was in the 11th jeep behind a long line tanks,trucks,etc….they actually got lost taking the wrong turn….some Italian on a bike had to show Clark the right way…for his grand entrance.[ that is actually mentioned in some history books.
Clark made headlines all over the world." Rome Captured".....but those headlines were never seen again...the next morning June 6th something happened on some beach in Normandy.
My father stayed at the Nord Roma Hotel ..a 1st class hotel that first night..and then for the next year.He was reassigned because he spoke Italian to investigate the Ardreatine Cave Massacre.In March of that year Italian partisans in Rome carried out an attack on german occupied troops marching on Via rasella....in rome.Over 30 soldiers were killed....Hitler the next day ordered 10 Italians to be shot for every german....over 300 innocent people were rounded up,many jews included....and shot in the Ardeatine caves just outside rome...the Germans then blew up the caves to hide the massacre.I can remember growing up him telling about the investigation.I remember Caruso[the name only because of the singer} was part of rounding up the Italians for the Germans.He was tried and hung after the war.
Anyway my father always thought Pope Pius X11 did little to help..in his team of investigators they had some evidence that Pius looked the other way..that is very controversial today...after the investigation my father became part of a group of educators to work with the new Italian govt on education....changing the education system...he stayed in rome almost a year after the war was over...went back to his HS and starting teaching again...he lasted a few months...something called the UN was moving from San Fran to NYC. some of his buddies from Rome were joining.He left teaching and then worked for the UN the next 30 years.
Every night I kiss his Manhattan College ring that is on my bed post..today I'll wear it for awhile
Next year I'll continue with his life in the UN.
Just writing this here makes me feel good....even if it gets 2 hits....i know many of you have great stories about your father......also many of you today get to be with your father..cherish that....
happy fathers day to all of you.....sorry this is so damn long and boring but again it made me feel good...peace
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You can say something to popes, kings and presidents, but you can't talk to officials. In the next war they ought to give everyone a whistle.
"There are only two plays,Romeo and Juliet and take it to the basket"
Abe Lemons 1977
*** end quote ***
Jasper "Box in one" Senior [MC1936]
[JR: Interesting, Another identity to uncover! Send in the detectives.]
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