[at-l] Memorial Day

[Paul A Magnanti <pmags@juno.com>]

Lesse..Saturday I did some housecleaning (oooh..what fun!), and read a
bit at the local park.
Tommorow I am going hiking with Terry (Ultralite) for the day.
Today, I went hiking in the local trails in Boulder. Glad I did it this
morning, it  is VERY warm here in the Front Range (in high 80'/low 90s),
was sweltering at 8:30 this morning..can only imagine what it would be
like this afternoon...
After this hike,went to a local bookstore/coffee shop and put a dent in
the latest book I am reading: _The Rock of Anzio_. 
	Very appropriate for Memorial Day Weekend. It is a history of the 45th
division during WW2.  Not only does this division have a Colorado
connection (it was National Guard division made of mainly people from SW
Colorado, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Had an unusually large contingent of
Native Americans and Hispanics), but it also has a New England
connection, they trained in Ft. Devons, Massachusetts. There they also
picked up some new troops from the area..including my grandfather,
Domenic Magnanti....

   The 45th was one  of the five American divisions to suffer the most
causalities, and was also the division of the Pulitzer prize winning
cartoonist Bill Mauldin. The name may not be familiar, but the cartoons
probably are: Willie and Joe, two unshaven,cynical,  slovenly looking
"dogfaces". The GI's loved the realistic portrayl of war..Gen Patton
hated it. 
 Interesting read on one of the most overlooked parts of WW2 (the
Sicilian and Italian front). After reading the parts about the Anzio
beach head, the battles in Italy's Appenines where not only did the 45th
have to fight the Germans but also the  brutal weather, and the horrors
that greeted them after they liberated Dachau, I can really understand
why my grandfather talked so little of his time in the service.  Also
makes me realize why nothing seemed to bother him. He saw too much. 
Sorry for the rambling, but the "book report" seemed rather appropriate
for this weekend....

Happy Memorial Day all...just think of our veterans as you have your BBQ,
your hike, doing yard work, or just relaxing...

Mags


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I am going away....to an unknown country where I shall have no past
and no name, and where I shall be born again  with a new face and an
untried heart.
--Coquette
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