Wednesday, November 7, 2001
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Wednesday, November 7, 2001 |
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Veterans' group brings message of support from Italy By DAVE
HAMRICK
As the U.S. continues its struggle against terrorism, comfort and encouragement come to Fayette residents from thousands of miles away in a story that spans 56 years. "We are with you," writes Aurelio Mastrovito in a cover letter to Fayetteville's John Shlapak, introducing a progress report from the committee in charge of the Peace Museum in the tiny town of Manduria in southern Italy. The museum, being developed through volunteer labor and private donations, is unique "the only one like it in all of Italy," states the report, written by Simona Scialpi. Scialpi quotes Mastrovito, spokesman for the committee: "We have a special solidarity born in 1943-45 with the U.S.A. and Manduria, especially the veterans of the 450th Bomb Group who once lived among us." Mastrovito was 10 years old when members of the Air Force's 450th, among them Fayetteville's Shlapak, established a base camp from which they flew bombing runs into Austria and northern Italy in support of the 5th Army and 8th Army. Young Aurelio and other young boys in the town took it upon themselves to keep track of the bombers leaving and returning, "and quite often not all came back," writes Scialpi. Shlapak and numerous other veterans of the group visited Manduria in 1991 and again last May. "Some of the group were getting older, and they felt a camaraderie there. We decided, 'Why don't we go over and see what the base looks like,'" he said. The latest trip had an additional mission, dedication of a children's playground that was built recently using a $17,000 donation from the 450th Bomber Group Association. "It was like a family reunion," Shlapak said. "They treated us just like family. It was great." One of the ground crew members befriended a family back during the war, and the soldier's wife often sent clothes for a young daughter of that family, Shlapak said. When the 450th returned for its visit, the little girl now 60 years old was there and remembered. "They all remembered," he said. "The people are good people," he said. And viewing the events of Sept. 11 in light of their memories of the Americans who lived among them so many years ago, the people of Manduria are outraged. "Wars are terrible," writes Simona Scialpi in the report on the museum progress, "but what those terrorists did in New York and Washington are crimes against civilians, and for this they should be hunted to the end!" Having lived through the crisis that was WWII, does Shlapak think the U.S. will be up to the challenge of fighting a very different kind of war? "I think we're going to do good," he said. "I've got a lot of faith, especially in our troops. They're trained to do the job. "People worry," he added, "but I don't think they should. It'll get over."
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