L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D ear Readers, with A rmis tice D ay (now called Veter- an's Day) coming up November 11th, I got to think about the many bambini born worldwide in the 1890s, who were destined to become cannon fodder during La Prima Guerra Mondiale (World War I), when Italy was allied with Britain, Russia and the United States in "the War to end all Wars"(1915-1918). My father Vincenzo, born in 1896, was one of the lucky ones, in that he served in the Italian army, fighting against the Aus- tr iaci (A us trians ) and came home to tell and swap tales with his ex-combattenti paesani at their w eekly T r e Sette s tory swap sessions on Sundays.  As a child, if I was within earshot, the words I remember hearing most were freddo (cold) and neve (snow), as well as poveri figli di mamma (poor mama's boys), usually uttered by my mother who added in Italian that mothers nurtured their young sons like prized hot house flowers, making sure they but- toned their sweaters or put on their galoshes before going out- doors, and then the Government would harvest these  fiori di gioventù (flowers of youth) when they bloomed for servizio militare and they would go, often poorly equipped and clothed, to fight and frequently freeze to death in some terra straniera. *** "The War to end all Wars" (1915-1918), when Italy was allied with Belgium, France, Great Britain, Russia and the United States, caused devasta- tion on all sides, but for the Ital- ians the greatest loss of lives came in the battles against the Austrians. In an official bulletin issued in November 1918 by General Armando Diaz, he said "LA GUERRA E' FINITA. L'esercito Austro-Ungarico è  annientato. I resti di quello che fu un dei più potenti eserciti del mondo, risalgono in disordine e senza speranza le valli che avevano disceso con orgogliosa fierezza" (referring to the fighting at Caporetto Mountain). "THE WAR IS OVER. The Austro-Hungarian Army has been annihilated. The remains of what used to be one of the most powerful armies in the world are climbing in disarray and without hope those very slopes they had descended with arrogant confidence" Unfortunately, we know that the War to end all wars didn't. Even today, young men are dying every day in Afganistan and Iraq, Iran, North Korea and in many other places because of war When will we stop? *** The USO (United Services Organization) has been around since World War II and is actual- ly a private congressionally char- tered non profit organization that provides support services to the members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. Back in my day, most of us knew about the USO and the shows that Bob Hope and other enter- tainers would provide, but the USO does much more. Here is a brief update from On Patrol, the quarterly USO magazine: "The USO has been around since 1941, constantly adapting to meet the changing needs of our troops and families.  "Our scope allows us to meet a remarkably wide range of needs. On the same day we're delivering a ton of goods to troops at remote base in Afghanistan, we're lifting the spirits of military children through a live-character Sesame Street show, producing a career transition event and standing on the tarmac at Dover Air Force Base with families of the fallen. "With more than 2 million troops in uniform, it is vital to have the scale to make a differ- ence. Our centers around the world were visited nearly 9 mil- lion times and were supposed by 25,000 volunteers. Two million of those visits were in Afghanistan alone, where troops made 2.4 million phone calls home. Entertainment? Last year we put on 605 events for more than 320.000 troops and family members. "We have the presence to sup- port troops and families serving around the world. We deliver ser- vices at more than 160 locations, including nine in Afghanistan, at some of the most remote areas you could imagine. Our centers stretch from South Korea to South Carolina, from Washing- ton State to Europe and the Mid- dle East. And, when we can't put a center some place, we send a Mobile USO, a USO2GO ship- ment, a Christmas Convoy deliv- ery … or maybe Toby Kieth and a guitar player. We find a way for America to 'be there' to say 'Thank you'. "We extend our reach through partnerships with great organiza- tions and corporations. Our friends at American Airlines and the TSA help us take care of families of the fallen when they are on their difficult journeys. We partner with several organi- zations on retreats for military families. We work with comman- ders across Afghanistan to deliv- er holiday convoys every year. Our relationship with the White House gives us the chance to pro- duce a concert for military fami- lies on the South Lawn each July 4." The USO helps ease separa- tion from family and friends, boos ts their morale and lets troops know America supports them… Let us continue to sup- port the USO.

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