Let's not forget that on this day Rome fell to the Allies. My uncle with the 36th was there. Regretfully, Mark Clark was involved and it was due to his ego he allowed the German 10th Army to escape so he could get his glory. To all the dogface infantrymen and officers and the nurses that were involved, job well done !!
Well trained, brave men were wasted while serving under Clark. Not to mention the Generals that were hung out to dry to cover his terrible decisions. Kesselring himself questioned Clark's moves. Not one mention of the Rapido River in Clark's book " Calculated Risk". nor one mention about being brought up on charges in 1946. Texas legislators were stonewalled by his cronies.
Thanks, Steve, for mentioning this. My father served his entire tour in Italy, first in AA, then converted to infantry. It seems that service there gets overshadowed by both the Western and Eastern fronts. Those who served in the Med deserve as much recognition, since they faced just as much danger. It wasn't their fault that the leadership determined that this theater wasn't the main thrust.
2 days after the slaughter at the Rapido River, a 4 hour truce was called so the 36th and other attached units could collect the dead. First hand accounts relate the horror of the German soldiers there asking why our leaders allowed these brave soldiers to be wasted. Call me a Clark basher because that's what I am.There are so many other terrible examples all through the Italian battle. The only good thing about the Congressional Hearing in 1946 was that it became Army policy that there can never be a single commander to have as much power to sacrifice soldiers with such disregard. Best Rgards To All
A heartfelt thank you to the men and women that served in this front. Often overlooked, but never forgotten!
My father, too, was there. 505th Coast Artillery, which became part of the 900th AAA/AWB, then finally the 473rd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 92nd Division.
