In My Father's Footsteps: Home

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.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Home

The Stephen Ambrose Historical Tour ended with a tour of Rome, the place where Mark Clark and the soldiers of the United States 5^th Army had their triumphal parade in June 1944. This did not mark the end of the war, however. D-day in Normandy was days ahead and the drive to Germany and victory would take another year.

The 601 was sent back to Naples to prepare for their fourth and final amphibious landing in southern France. After over 4 years, dad returned home to McKeesport, forever changed by this defining experience of his life.