WWII Trip

This past weekend, I went on the school subsidized World War II Weekend. Two of the JFRC Alumni fly back every semester and take us on a WWII tour of Rome. They gave us detailed tours, bought us delicious meals, and I learned a ton of history of both the American and the Italian troops. (My best last minute decision.)

On Friday we visited Piana delle Orme Museum, the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, and the Anzio Port.

The Piana delle Orme Museum covered many areas of life through the centuries in the region of the Agro Pontino, the area south of Rome on the way to the Circeo promontory.

It also holds many restored military vehicles from WW2 and has dedicated sections to the Anzio Beach landings, to the battle of Cassino and other events. Among the vehicles displayed there is the only fully functional Sherman tank in Europe... maybe in the world. It was THE coolest museum I have ever been to. It was full of life-size dioramas that were interactive and moved! The plane propellers moved, the ground shook when bombs hit, and there were sound and light effects.

Next was the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial. The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 77 acres- a huge field of headstones of 7,861 of American soldiers. The majority of these men died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (September 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions. The memorial expressed America's remembrance of the dead, engraved with the names of 3,095 of the missing.

The wreath we brought ^ shown beneath the Brothers in Arms statue - Navy on the left, Army on the Right

Against Me!'s new album leaked, and their song 'White Crosses' disappoints me. After seeing the 7,860 marble crosses, I found the song offensive. Bummer.

Next was the Anzio Port. Anzio and Nettuno are also notable as sites of an Allied forces landing (Operation Shingle) and ensuing battle (known as the Battle of Anzio) during World War II. In January 1944 British and US forces made a landing on the beaches of Anzio, in the assault that was to liberate Rome from German occupation.

My room mate Kristen and I on the beach near Port Anzio - where the Allies landed.

After our visit to the Port, we had dinner at l'Entoteca da Vito dell'Orologio in Latina. It was a delicious 5 course meal. I sat with 5 students I didn't really know, and after mentioning the Glee season premiere tonight, I had 5 new friends.

Saturday Morning, we had another half day on the trip.

We visited the Fosse Ardeatine, Museo della Liberazione, Via Rasello and then lunch at L'archetto. The lunch on Saturday was definitely one of my top 3 meals in Italy. The place is famous because they have 100 types of spaghetti. We had appertivos, spaghetti of our choise, wine, and dessert. It was fantastic. 6 types of bruschetta! (pronounce it bru-sketta, or they'll kill you)

Fosse Ardeatine - the caves where the Germans massacred 335 Italians as a reprisal for the partisan attack on Via Rasella was our first stop. We worked in reverse chronological order. First we saw the caves, cemetery, and memorial for the reprisal for the attack. Then we saw the Nazi prison were those murdered at the caves were held, and then we saw the street on which the attack took place. There were still bullet holes in the sides of the buildings.

Via Rasella - where the partisan attack took place. Communist students filled a metal garbage bin with TNT and set it off as the German soldiers walked through the street.

Bullet holes from some of the partisans that opened fire on the Germans.

Not a very uplifting trip, but I certainly learned a lot. After lunch we were free for the afternoon, and I spent it with a few girls wandering the gardens at Villa Borghese.

Tomorrow brings Calcio playoffs. After Team Chocolato's upset of the semester last week, (we beat the #2 ranked team, some thought it couldn't be done..) we are set in the brackets against Team Orange. Results to come. There was another broken leg last week... I'll do my best to avoid injury.