WW2 Supers d6: SST 11: Interlude: Naples I&I
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2022 4:05 pm
December 7-14, 1943; Base of Monte Camino Hill Complex to the city of Naples, Italy
The immediate aftermath of the Battle of 'Million Dollar Mountain' was a bit surreal, as trucks and jeeps took the exhausted, muddy and blood Forcemen down from the massive mountain complex to the camp sites around the town of Santa Maria. Lots of sleep and the joys of hot food and even better, hot SHOWERS were enjoyed the following couple of days; along with the return of Mike/Mark Battaglia. He was fine, but poor Casey Campbell was suffering from more serious injuries and would be with the Docs for a bit longer....
After several days, Colonel Frederick came thru and he passed out awards, including Bronze Stars to every member of SST 11 save Captain Hyde-Smythe, who received the Silver Star....reinforcing most of the Enlisted men's feelings about how Officers frequently get higher rewards for the same service. In addition, Chisholm, Heuron, Nado and Battaglia all received the not-so-coveted 'I forgot to duck' medal....also known as the Purple Heart.
On Sunday, 12 December, LT General Mark Clark, commander of the entire Fifth Army, stopped by for the memorial service to the fallen members of the First Special Service Force. After the ceremony, Clark gave a 15 minute long speech to the Force that ends with; "-You'll be given bigger and better hills to climb in the coming days"......meant as admiration for what they pulled off on Monte La Difensa, but sounding to many of the vets like 'more hard fighting to come'.
Not long after the tall 5th Army commander leaves, the Forcemen are THRILLED to learn that they have all been given 48 hours of leave to go enjoy R&R (rest and relaxation) in the nearby city of Naples on the coast. Trucks are standing by to shuttle them there. Pretty quickly, some 'wit' in the FSSF has transformed the R&R to I&I.....Intoxication and Intercourse.....
They city of Naples is a bustling place filled with Allied troops from all over; numerous Italian civilians who for the most part seem quite friendly to the 'liberators' or 'conquerors'; some hungry children chasing after anyone they can find, requesting food.....other Italian 'salesmen' selling everything from cigarettes to booze to women-for-the-hour.....and TONS of bars and restaurants with long lines of troops waiting to get in....
Most of the 48 hours goes by in a blur of food, drinking, frollicking (either the illicit kind or perhaps an Opera or USO show); witnessing (or perhaps taking part in) fights in the bars by drunken troops of different units and/or nationalities and in general, much fun is had by the members of SST 11; minus their C.O. who just told them to make sure they were back at the appropriate time and to 'not get into SERIOUS trouble'; and he then went off on his own.
WIth a few hours left to go, Nado, Porcupine, Chisholm, Heuron and Koda were gathered in a restaurant, enjoying a last meal and some booze when Battaglia came over to their table with a huge grin on his face and his arm around a pretty Italian woman. "Fellas! I want you to meet my girlfriend, Camella Lanza. She's a teacher and her English is almost as good as my Italian!" Camella shakes her head at him with a grin and in very good English, responds, "His Italian is closer to Serbian.....it's nice to meet all of you!"
An enjoyable meal is had by all and Camella comes across as an intelligent, kind and wise young woman, Mike/Mark has done well for himself. As the meal comes to an end, Camella turns a bit more serious and says, "I have a friend, Abrianna, who lives nearby. She has.....a problem....that I think, maybe only you Supremo....no, that's not the word....TALENTS can help her with. Do you have a few moments to talk to her?" She asks with her big, pretty dark eyes imploring all of you......
The immediate aftermath of the Battle of 'Million Dollar Mountain' was a bit surreal, as trucks and jeeps took the exhausted, muddy and blood Forcemen down from the massive mountain complex to the camp sites around the town of Santa Maria. Lots of sleep and the joys of hot food and even better, hot SHOWERS were enjoyed the following couple of days; along with the return of Mike/Mark Battaglia. He was fine, but poor Casey Campbell was suffering from more serious injuries and would be with the Docs for a bit longer....
After several days, Colonel Frederick came thru and he passed out awards, including Bronze Stars to every member of SST 11 save Captain Hyde-Smythe, who received the Silver Star....reinforcing most of the Enlisted men's feelings about how Officers frequently get higher rewards for the same service. In addition, Chisholm, Heuron, Nado and Battaglia all received the not-so-coveted 'I forgot to duck' medal....also known as the Purple Heart.
On Sunday, 12 December, LT General Mark Clark, commander of the entire Fifth Army, stopped by for the memorial service to the fallen members of the First Special Service Force. After the ceremony, Clark gave a 15 minute long speech to the Force that ends with; "-You'll be given bigger and better hills to climb in the coming days"......meant as admiration for what they pulled off on Monte La Difensa, but sounding to many of the vets like 'more hard fighting to come'.
Not long after the tall 5th Army commander leaves, the Forcemen are THRILLED to learn that they have all been given 48 hours of leave to go enjoy R&R (rest and relaxation) in the nearby city of Naples on the coast. Trucks are standing by to shuttle them there. Pretty quickly, some 'wit' in the FSSF has transformed the R&R to I&I.....Intoxication and Intercourse.....
They city of Naples is a bustling place filled with Allied troops from all over; numerous Italian civilians who for the most part seem quite friendly to the 'liberators' or 'conquerors'; some hungry children chasing after anyone they can find, requesting food.....other Italian 'salesmen' selling everything from cigarettes to booze to women-for-the-hour.....and TONS of bars and restaurants with long lines of troops waiting to get in....
Most of the 48 hours goes by in a blur of food, drinking, frollicking (either the illicit kind or perhaps an Opera or USO show); witnessing (or perhaps taking part in) fights in the bars by drunken troops of different units and/or nationalities and in general, much fun is had by the members of SST 11; minus their C.O. who just told them to make sure they were back at the appropriate time and to 'not get into SERIOUS trouble'; and he then went off on his own.
WIth a few hours left to go, Nado, Porcupine, Chisholm, Heuron and Koda were gathered in a restaurant, enjoying a last meal and some booze when Battaglia came over to their table with a huge grin on his face and his arm around a pretty Italian woman. "Fellas! I want you to meet my girlfriend, Camella Lanza. She's a teacher and her English is almost as good as my Italian!" Camella shakes her head at him with a grin and in very good English, responds, "His Italian is closer to Serbian.....it's nice to meet all of you!"
An enjoyable meal is had by all and Camella comes across as an intelligent, kind and wise young woman, Mike/Mark has done well for himself. As the meal comes to an end, Camella turns a bit more serious and says, "I have a friend, Abrianna, who lives nearby. She has.....a problem....that I think, maybe only you Supremo....no, that's not the word....TALENTS can help her with. Do you have a few moments to talk to her?" She asks with her big, pretty dark eyes imploring all of you......