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| Charlie, 1930 |
Carmelo Amenta called Charlie most of this life, served in the USA army the length of WWll. While in the army he made $100 a month, half he sent home to his mother and to pay for life insurance on himself for his mother if he died in the war. Was a machine gunner in Europe: Italy, France, Austria, Germany, and in the Philippines before the war in 1939/ 40 and had yellow fever and sent to Panama because it was the only tropical disease hospital the army had. He told us that when the men ran a fever they would look for a stream to stand in up to their ankles to bring their fevers down. Then while he was recovering he was working fueling submarines using fishing boat and dressed as a fisherman from Panama to the Galapagos Islands to meet the subs and fuel them and give the men fresh water. He did this for months before going to North Africa. From there to Italy were they pushed the Nazis back into Austria. He was there at the battle of Brenner Pass, the main way into Italy where Charlie was wounded. He was sent to a hospital in Austria set up in an old castle. When he was back on his feet he and others, able to walk, decided to explore the castle. They ended up in the wine cellar and all took as many bottles as they could for all the wounded. On their way back, they came around a corner and right into the Major who was the higher ranking officer there. Seeing them with all the wine bottles he asked what they were doing. They replied, “exploring the castle, Sir.” The Major shook his head, grabbed a bottle and left. This was a jailing offense if caught.
Charlie was sent to a transport division afterward and was there when a concentration camp was entered. He said it was the worst thing he ever saw. Once back in the United States, -after the war, Charlie was stationed in California and with army buddies, one who was a priest named, Fr. Mike were helping to build a Shrine in (late 1940s). One day, this crew passed June Alison, the actress, whose car had a flat tire. They stopped and fixed it for her and the next day she came to the Shrine with a case of beer for them.
Charlie served in the army for 9 years total. For servicing in WWII and he received medals; Bronze Star for 30 days or more straight in combat, the European medal, Pacific medal and a good conduct medal. He was a laborer working many different jobs after that. I don’t believe he was a happy person but he was a hero. He died on April 11, 2014, in Oregon, Ohio, at the age of 92, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, United States of America.
