[at-l] Some mellow trip reports...

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

--- GoVolsKelly@aol.com wrote:
> Oh Mags, your trip report has brought me to tears. I
> miss my Daddy sooo much!  I'm glad you had that time
>

Amazing what can remind us of loved ones we lost. Over
Memorial Day (and Veterans' Day), tend to think of my
grandfather a lot. One of the things Dad and I talked
about was on the rare stories my Dad knows of Pop's
(that was my grandfather to my brothers and I) WW2
days.

When my Dad was 12 or 13, one of my grandfather's army
buddies came by for a visit and told a story at the
kitchen table I am sure my grandfather did not tell
too often. :-)

My grandfather and a few of his buddies were first
generation Americans of Italian-born parents. A fact
that is pertient because 1) Pop's division was
invading Sicily and then Italy  2) Their sgt was a
bigot and really rode the "dagos" as their sgt so
ahem, warmly called them. 

During one particular incident, Pop's buddy, was about
to punch out this sgt. Pop talked him out of it. my
grandfather was slow to anger, very rational and
always had a smile on his face. Said no good would
come out of punching out the sgt..  Except one time in
about 1943 it seems.  After another round of being
called derogatory remarks, Pop, as his buddy told my
dad, "Just laid out the sgt." :-)   Dad said my
grandfather just smiled and would not confirm or deny
the story.  

Anyway, that's how the past few days went. Not too
shabby.

Just posted some pics at:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/magsmisc?&page=2

Mountain scenes..no pictures of beer. :-)



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The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau
http://www.magnanti.com