SUMMARY
Quotes: 1) “You know, once
you were drafted you had to do what you had to do. You had to go and you had to
do the duty for the country.”- P.3
2) “Basically, when we went to Africa, it was bombs
falling from the sky and there is nothing you can do against that when all you
did in your training was to learn how to jump over a hole or jump from a tree
or try to shoot an automatic weapon.”- P.5
3) “I remember that they came and took me with the
ambulance, but my friend, they had to gather his pieces with shovels to take it
away. So this was all real scary stuff.”- P.6-7
4) “All I know is that on one incident, while we were
surrounded one time, they had even taken our flag and then the paratroopers
came and we had lost our flag. I remember our chaplain finally got our flag for
us and I remember him coming back and he was swearing, swearing like crazy.
That’s why I really didn’t have much to think about religion or an outlook on
religion.”- P.13
My Grandfather, Rocco Mancini, basically shared his
experience in being an Italian WWII soldier with me. He talked about the draft
and how he realized he had to serve his country no matter what it’s ultimate
goal was. He told me how he had to maintain the phone lines during the war and
what a difficult job it was. For the time he was in combat, he described the
many terrible events he had witnessed such as the up-close deaths of his
friends. Making many references to machine guns and cannons let me know that
war was nothing sweet. His descriptions of what it was like fighting on the
front lines elevated my respect level for him and every other soldier who has
fought or is fighting right now.
I knew he was held prisoner during the war, but I did not
know what it entailed. My Nonno explained how food and water was scarce and how
the soldiers suffered during the campaign. It was fascinating to hear how well
the Americans treated the Italians when they were held prisoner. It made me
feel proud to be an Italian-American. From our readings in class, I could draw
comparisons from the stories we have read to some of the things my Grandfather
shared with me. Watching my Grandfather softly cry at the end of the interview
compelled me to give him a hug and tell him that I love him.
This interview I completed
with my Grandfather was very fulfilling to me. I have heard him mention things
about the war briefly at the supper table before, but this gave me a chance to
hear more than just a couple of funny stories that he had shared with me
already. I really never talked with him about his experiences before and I
think he really enjoyed telling his story to me. Besides bonding with my
Grandfather, my father was also part of the experience. Acting as a translator,
he listened to every word his father said and I could see attentiveness in him
through his facial expressions and stare. Now that I think about it, there were
three generations at one table talking about and listening to the beginning of
our hierarchy.