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, October 14, 2011

Rome Overload

We spent the day touring Rome. Our first stop was a Vatican tour. The museum is mind blowing and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's sent me into overload. It was magnificent. I tried to picture what it must have been like for dad to enter this city during war time when it was almost empty. He and some recon buddies were sent into Rome before the advancing troops. Their job was to report back if there were still German forces in the city. When they realized that they had the city to themselves, with no threat of danger, they spent the day sightseeing. He explored St. Peter's with a buddy and climbed to the very top of the dome for an incomparable view. He said they locked it up the next day, not wanting allied troops to overrun it.  I'm sure dad gave thanks for many answered prayers and then petitioned for safety in the days to come.

We spent the evening walking to The Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps and the Pantheon. It was interesting to hear the Trevi Fountain before seeing it, to hang out with "the beautiful people" at The Spanish Steps and to "stumble upon" the Pantheon. Dinner at a trattoria while people watching capped off the day.





Rome sparkles at night.



Huge tapestries, huge statues, huge altars, I found old toe number 35 just sitting in a corner looking lonely. Nobody was taking his photo, so I did.



...just so dear...

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