San Pietro Page #3

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Many among these you see alive here ..

Have since joined the ranks of their

brothers-in-arms who fell at San Pietro.

For ahead lay San Vittore.

And the Rapido River and Cassino.

And beyond Cassino, more

rivers and more mountains.

And more towns, more San Pietros.

Greater or lesser .. a thousand more.

As the battle passed over

beyond San Pietro, westward.

Townspeople began to appear, coming

out of their caves in the mountains.

For they had stayed in hiding

during the enemy occupation.

They were mostly old people.

And children.

The townspeople were warned

against enemy mines and booby traps.

Which were in the

process of being cleared.

Children are able to forget quickly.

Yesterday they wept.

Today there are smiles

and even laughter.

Tomorrow, it will be as though the

bad things had never happened.

Living was resumed in San Pietro.

Our prime military aim being to

engage and to beat the enemy.

The capture of the town itself

and the liberation of its people.

Is of an incidental nature.

But the people in their

military innocence ..

Look upon us solely as their deliverers.

It was to free them, and their

farmlands, that we came.

Behind our lines, southwest to the sea.

The fields are green with growing

crops planted after our coming.

By other people of other

towns who live likewise.

The new-won earth at

San Pietro was plowed and sown.

To yield a good harvest this year.

And the people pray

that their patron saint ..

To intercede with God on behalf

of those who came to liberate them.

And passed on to the north,

with the passing battle.

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