2008-2010-FSSF-Tour

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2008 FSSF Italy Tour

Here are many photos that Tour coordinator John Hart took while on the Italy tour in 2008.

If you are interested in visiting these sites and more please contact John to RSVP for the 2010 Italy Tour. It will be a time NEVER forgotten.

John Hart - johnhart@telus.net

This the Cassino Abbey taken from our hotel courtyard in 2008.

Eugene Forward 2-3 telling us stories about Difensa, sadly Eugene died months after we returned home. He was a father figure to all of us. Of all the people who went in 2008 not one of us had a living father or Force member, we adopted Eugene.

This man you will get to know very well, Gianni Blasi, a true friend and loyal member of the First Special Service Force Association. His passion for the Force knows no boundaries and his knowledge of the Force and of Italian history is infinite.

Difensa taken from the road to Caspoli, the cliffs the boys climbed to gain the surprise attack

This is Angelo Andreoli's place at Caspoli, he has a museum made up from articles taken from Difensa. He was our guide up Difensa and his wife fed all of us in their house. Angelo also makes a very good wine as you will find out.

The headstone of Sid Gath 1-2 killed on Difensa Dec 3, one of the many Forcemen buried in the valley

The view taken from the bottom of the German route of Difensa

in the saddle of Difensa, Mt Remantanea in the background

Daughter Ashley and John proudly hoisting a familiar flag at the top of Difensa

Another picture of the Difensa cliffs from a lower cliff

Ashley and John standing at the top of the cliffs of Difensa

Mary Bhagan enjoying solitude on Difensa

More Difensa cliffs looking over the cliffs, I don't know they did it. Like the German officer says while under attack, it is impossible for you to be here.

This cave was 2nd regiment's command post on the top of Difensa

looking up from the Difensa saddle towards the cliffs

looking across the Mignano Gap from Difensa

We brought up a couple bottles of wine and toasted to all of the passed and present Forcemen

The caretakers of the Winterline Museum in Venafro

This fellow in Venafro telling us about the bombing in his town

The ruins of San Pietro taken from the museum parking lot

behind the brush is an old olive press at San Pietro

Eugene Forward and the part of the tour group in the mayors chambers in Artena

local children came to the chambers to meet Eugene Forward, they learn about the war and the First Special Service Force in school and they get excited when they can actually meet one.
The local boy in the foreground is named Thomas in honor of a WW2 soldier named Thomas

Names of KIA Forcemen in the Artena square

This lady came to talk to us in the square and was crying, Gianni told us that her sister went for water and was shot 6 times in the chest by a german soldier, her name is on a tablet in the square

Sheepherders hut dating back at least 500 years at the edge of #687, Italy is famous for it's arches, if you look over the doorway there is one there as well

the edge of 687, Radicosa in the background

Allesandro looking for souvenirs in a foxhole left from the battle on #687

These are old foxholes on #687 battlefied

The concrete road from Radicosa to Hill 720

Looking across the valley from 720 to Monte la Difensa in the clouds

This is the guard house on top of 720 that has been there since Roman times, they had a commanding view of the valley, no wonder the Germans did the same. The Romans would light a fire when armies would invade to warn the guards further down the valley

The hilltops on the right are in order of close to distant are #675,#724,#775,and #870

Jack Sweet 1-1 & Henry Planger 3-3 with their Eagle feathers. Back before the Whiteman came to North America, the chief would reward his braves for heroic battle performance and was the highest award, it still is today. Jack and henry were very proud as was Jack Knight who was not able to make it.

The bottom of the german Route to Difensa

Sammucro - This is one of the many places where we will be this summer 2010

-This tour is open to all First Special Service Force Veterans, Spouses, Children, grandchildren and friends of the Force, it is an experience that you will never forget

Gianni Blasi will be our host and tour guide.

- welcome and ceremony with the Mayor of Mignano Montelungo

(town below La Defensa);

- visit to Mount Camino and to Mount Majo to see the Winter

Line;

- visit to Montecassino, its abbey and to German emplacements

on the Gustav Line;

- visit to the town of Roccadarce from which the Liri Valley

(Purple Heart Valley) is totally visible;

- inspection of the area below La Defensa where the Force hid

for 24 hours before the baptism of fire on Dec. 3rd 1943;

- climb up La Defensa;

- visit to the sights where the Force fought from Venafro to

La Radicosa to Viticuso to Monte Majo, part of it will be in

jeeps;

- visit to the Commonwealth Cemetary in Cassino;

- visit to the area of the Mussolini Canal held by the Force

on the Anzio Beachhead;

- visit to "Gussville";

- visit to American War Cemetary in Nettuno and to the Common-

wealth Cemetary in Anzio;

- visit to the "Piana delle Orme Museum" in Latina;

- visit to Artena, meeting with the Mayor and a short stop

by the cherry grove where the Force stopped before the final

push into the valley and then on to Rome;

- visit to the "Force sights" in Rome such as Porta Maggiore

(the gate the Force went through), Porta San Paolo, the

Hotel Excelsior (where Frederick established his headquar-

ters in Rome and Ponte Margherita (where Frederick was woun-

ded and his driver killed).

Since we will be very close to major historical sights, there will be the possibility to visit megalithycal constructions dating as far back as 1000 B.C. such as Arpino, birthplace of Marcus Agrippa (builder of the Pantheon in Rome and much more), of Marcus Tullius Cicero, the most classical of roman orators-lawyer-senator-governor. Other important sights will be the pre-Christian acropolis of Alatri with its surrounding medieval town, the medieval house in Roccasecca on the Gustav Line, in which the phylosopher Saint Thomas Aquinus was born and the family’s castle and the room inside a cistercian monastery (near the beachhead) where he died.

Changes to the itinerary can be made in regards to specific interests of the participants considering the fortunate position we will be located in: halfway between Rome and Naples.

All participants will be accomodated in a four star hotel right in the middle of Purple Heart Valley, on the Gustav Line, with La Defensa in the front view and the Abbey of Montecassino on the left. Transportation will be provided with gran-tourism busses (unless special vehicles are required in the mountains) from the pick-up at the Fiumicino Airport to the departure at the same. Three full meals per day will be provided at the best Italian cuisine standards and during the excursions participants will have the unique experience of tasting outstanding home-made delicacies. The all inclusive cost per day shall not exceed (and if possible be less than) 110 euros per day.

All Force sites and battlefields will be accessible for everyone either by jeep, bus or wheelchair.

Contact: John Hart

3047 Cottonwood Way S.W.

Medicine Hat Alberta

T1b 4J6

Phone- 403 526-7343

Email- johnhart@telus.net

Italy Tour May 29-June 8 2010

See below for info on the 2010 tour and pictures form the 2008 tour.

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