A Brief History

My father, Jim Stevens, as one of the soldiers of the 601st Tank Destroyers, was on active duty for the entire engagement of the North African Campaign and The European Theater of Operations in WWII - for over 4 years. He experienced 546 days of actual combat. While he fought at the Kasserine Pass and El Guettar in North Africa and then in France and Germany, it is the Italian Campaign that I have chosen to focus on. Jim has often said that he would have liked to return to Italy. For him it would have been a ritual journey allowing him to reconcile the brutality of the war he fought with the people, culture, beauty and history of the country that he also experienced. At 91, he cannot take that journey so I am taking it for him.

Friday, September 30, 2011

The Woman Behind the Man


Rena is the strong, smart and devoted woman behind the man. This little Italian spitfire stole his heart and changed his life.  Rena and Jim were married in 1947 and 64 years later they are still going strong.
Rena, Pierena Zitella, was born in Corfinio, Abruzzo, Italy and arrived in the United States at five years old, holding her mother’s, Anna Consalvo Zitella, hand as they passed through Ellis Island. They joined her father, Alexander Zitella, in McKeesport, Pa. to begin life as an American family. They believed hard work and education were the keys to success. Rena succeeded. While she worked for Westinghouse, with Admiral Rickover on the development of the Nautilus submarine, and Penn State, keeping the McKeesport Campus running smoothly, her job as wife and mother was her top priority and her biggest accomplishment. Rena raised four children who value hard work and education as much as she does and are equally devoted to family. It is no wonder that Jim affectionately refers to her as his “Golden Goose.”
Is it fate that Jim found and married an Italian beauty after his experiences in Italy during the war?
Before heading south to the beaches of Salerno and Anzio, I plan to visit Corfinio and explore a bit of the Zitella and Consalvo family histories



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5 comments:

  1. rosedbOctober 11, 2011 at 10:25 AM

    Marian, What was it about small Italian women of that generation? Spit fires indeed. I will be following your journey and will be especially interested in Salerno as that is the area that my family traces its roots, fare un bel viaggio. Rose

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  2. ecoff familyOctober 12, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    Glad to get your arrival message. Just left a message for mom and dad. Been thinking of you.

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  3. kmeOctober 12, 2011 at 1:12 PM

    So glad to know you are there. I'm picturing you in a most beautiful setting. Can't wait to hear more!

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  4. R/M StevensOctober 12, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    Hi Mari, glad you and Larry made it a-ok. Now you get to celebrate Larry's birthday in style. buon compleanno, Lorenzo!

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  5. AnonymousOctober 13, 2011 at 11:27 AM

    Ciao Marian and Larry,
    I love following your blog, it sounds like everything is going well, and Italy sounds just wonderful and beautiful! I especially like seeing the pictures, and "McDermott Winery" is getting a few ideas, ha, ha!! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your trip. Have fun, and enjoy every minute:)

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