Fred and Rudy ran off and joined the Navy during WWII. Frankie, in the middle, joined the army and ended up in Patton's brigade, fighting his way up the Italian coast. There was always something a little shell-shocked about Frankie.
For my stepfather, those years were among the happiest -- certainly the most interesting -- years of his life. His memories always returned back to that time.
His father owned a bar on 116th Street in Harlem. Fred also worked there as a kid. The war was their great escape, the great adventure of their lives, as odd as that may seem to us now.
Top row: Rudy, Frank, Fred (Joseph Alfredo). He was Fred most of his life and then later took up Joseph.
Bottom row: Lena, Evelyn and Vincenzo.
Except for Rudy and Evelyn, they were all born in Carolei, Calabria.

The sign behind time reads: BACK UP THE BOYS, FLATTEN YOUR . . . ? Any ideas about the missing words?

Tags:   1940's Evelyn Frank Fred (Joseph Alfredo) Italian-Americans Italians Lena Vincenzo Vintage World War II

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My stepfather during WW II.
He joined the Navy as soon as he was eligible. And the war turned out to be the great adventure of his life. He served for two years on a Liberty ship -- these were prefabricated cargo ships often built in less than a month. Noted for their ugliness, FDR called the Liberty ship "a dreadful looking object."
Fred was the gunner. However, since the guns rarely worked -- "We were sitting ducks," he'd say -- he helped out in other areas. He was often put on ice-cream detail
Born in the tiny town of Carolei in Calabria, he came to America when he was two years old. Imagine his emotions on returning to Italy, only sixteen-years later, as an American sailor.

Tags:   1940's Fred in WW II Sicilia Vintage WW II World War II foto d'epoca guerra war

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Fred used to tell me that the most dangerous part of the war for him was getting in and out of ports. The ports were mined and had sunken ships in the navigable waters.

Tags:   Italia Italy Naples WWII foto d'epoca fred Napoli Fred (Joseph Alfredo) War Second World War 1944 1944-45 Explore Europe Guerra vintage

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Fred took this photo of Pete Stella in 1945.

Tags:   foto d'epoca fred WW II Fred (Joseph Alfredo) War Guerra Vintage 1940's 1945 communication

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The Patria, German passenger ship, being used as a transport ship for Allied soldiers.

Tags:   Fred Fred (Joseph Alfredo) WW II Guerra War Second World War Liberty ship 1940's 1944

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