Chapter 37: Don't be in a rush to leave here
In Chapter 37, John Koski is shipped to a replacement depot in Italy.
1. We do not know the name of the ship that took Johnny to Italy or the date on which it sailed. He arrived in Italy in late December or early January.
2. Photo of leaning tower of Pisa taken by James Winterbottom of the 10th Mountain Infantry Division in the winter of 1945.
3. The descriptions of the 8th Replacement Depot are based on various accounts, including interviews with Edsell Snell who worked there at that time.
4. The photo of the little Italian boy named "Kanuch" is real, but we do not know if John ran into him.
5. Johnny's experience with the Italian family is fictionalized, but is based on similar accounts by many servicemen.
6. We do not know if Johnny saw the soldiers from the various countries, but they were there at that time.
7. The conversation with the veteran from the 34th Infantry Division is fictionalized.
8. We do not know if Johnny saw the 10th Mountain Infantry Division arrive, but it appears that he was in Italy when they arrived.
9. We do not know if Johnny knew Shapley Haines, although both were in the Replacement Depot at the same time and both were assigned to F Company on the same day as indicated in the detailed notes on the F-85 morning reports.
10. James Orwig talks about patrols with the 10th Mountain Infantry Division in January of 1945. .m4v version for iPad and iPhone
Media and Web links:
1. Figure 37-1 Video: Watch a video about troops being transported by ship.
2. Figure 37-2 Video: Watch as Mount Vesuvious erupts in 1944.
3. Figure 37-3 Video: Listen to a veteran describe the scene as he lands in Naples.
4. Figure 37-5 Web: Learn more about the 8th Replacement Depot.
5. Figure 37-6 Video: Watch a video about children, always the most unfortunate casualties of war.
6. Figure 37-8 Web: Read the original letter from John to Lilly, written January 26, 1945.
7. Figure 37-9 Video: Watch portions of the Battle of San Pietro, the same movie shown to GIs at the Replacement Depot.
8. Figure 37-10 Video: Watch a short video about the 10th Mountain Infantry Division and the attacks on Riva Ridge, Mount Belvedere, and Mount Della Torraccia.
Copyright 2007 by Dan Oja