Letter to Rocky - Mt Pantano

[Walt's Daughter]

Dear Rocky,

 

It is I that was left short for words ... I was overwhelmed that you replied so quickly to my email and so positively. I was very saddened to hear of your loss, my heart felt condolences and prayers go out to you from across the pond ... I sincerely hope you will be able to pick up and look a little to the future for better day's than recent.

 

If there is anything I can offer or do for you Rocky then please just ask, my respect and admiration for the red bulls and particularly those that were at Mount Pantano has been an inspiration to me for more than 30 years.

Ever since my first walk up Mount Pantano as a kid, when I first stumbled across some old bits and pieces from the battle scattered around the mountainside, my interest and fascination in the battle and the 34th div. has been relentless.

 

I started my research into the battle when I was at school in Scotland as a teenager and have continued to this day, in your email Rocky you suggest that I look at Homer Ankrums book, Dog faces who smile through tears. Unfortunately I bought this book around 9 years ago and have read it many times, a fantastic book.

 

I also have managed to locate many other books with chapters or paragraphs on Mount Pantano, such as Brickbrats from F Company, As you were Cannon Co., Battlefire combat stories, Fifth army at the winter line, The history of the 34th Div., Ed Birds story in Citizen soldier, and a few more.

 

I have also managed to collect several official battlefield intellegence reports on the battle for Pantano, including reports from John Moore and Robert Berens.

I also have monologues of the battle from various cammanders and a selection of WW2 maps of Panatno.

 

I also have some veterans accounts of the battle which they kindly emailed to me over the last ten years. I have built up quite a knowledge and library on the battle for Mount pantano. I doubt anyone else knows more about the subject than i do.

 

I would love to have heard at first hand from you Rocky about your memories of the battle for Mount Panatno and in particular what you went through during those long, wet, cold winter day's in Nov/Dec 1943. However I understand that it was a long time ago and memory is a difficult thing to control as one gets older, If you do remember anything you would like to share with me then please do get in touch with me. Do you remember a village about half a mile from the mountain where in the village square is a beautiful old church. This village is called Filignano and this is where my mother was born and lived until after the war, my mother was only 6 during the Pantano battle and hid in another nearby village called Lagone.

 

Anyway, I have taken enough of your time for today Rocky, I will get back to you soon, and I hope we can stay friends until next years 34th reunion in Iowa which I will be attending and which I truly hope and pray you also will be attending so I can meet you in person and shake your hand!

 

Thanks again for your time Rocky, take care and God bless.

 

Emilio