When I was a small boy I said, “You built bridges, didn’t
you?” He paused. Smiled and said, “Yea.”
What he really did was demolition. Blowing up German bunkers. And blowing up bridges.
He put his boots on in England and took them off three
months later in France. He was left with
a lifelong fungus infection on the sole of one foot from wearing soggy boots
for three months.
Uncle Fred was pulled away from his squad to recuperate in England.
While he was gone most of his squad was killed when a bridge went up
prematurely. It haunted him all his life. He felt he could have prevented it.
One time, I think it was Christmas Day, I said, “Thanks for what you did.”, to my Uncle Fred Pitcherella and to my Uncle
Louie Pilotti. Uncle Louie was a Sergeant in Patton’s Army. He was in the
Battle of the Bulge.
My Uncle Louie said, “What do you mean.”
I replied, “If you didn’t go to war, we might all be
speaking German.”
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