Page 3 - Italian-American Herald - July 2024

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
JULY2024 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 3 FROM THE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Never forget the ones who fought and died for freedom
Vol. 11 No.7 – July 2024
A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER SERVING THE ITALIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY
A DIVISION OF TODAY MEDIA Editor & Publisher
Robert F. Martinelli
Vice Pres. Business Development
Charles W. Tomlinson Jr.
Associate Publisher
Barbara Ann Zippi-Och
Managing Editor
Al Kemp
Art Director
Rosalinda Rocco
This issue’s contributors
Melissa Cannavo-Marino Andrea DiFabio
Ken Mammarella Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo Natalie Pantaleo Ciro Poppiti
Dr. Domenico Pratico Charlie Sacchetti Murray Schulman Tanya Tecce
Social Media Director
Andrea Di Fabio
Senior correspondent
Jeanne Outlaw-Cannavo
Advertising Sales
Christina Kelley Pam Mariani Murray Schulman Jessica Stryker Tanya Tecce Paula Iocavelli Wholey
Production Manager
Eric Bolis
Graphic Designers
Kyle Manzolillo Natalie Newhart
Editor Emeritus
Joseph T. Cannavo
TODAY MEDIA, A MARTINELLI HOLDINGS LLC
President Robert F. Martinelli Secretary-Treasurer Richard Martinelli In Memoriam
Chairman Angelo R. Martinelli (1927-2018) Vice President Ralph Martinelli (1962-2019)
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In his autobiography “Al’s Song,” my uncle Al Alberts describes his combat experience aboard the Navy Destroyer USS Charles F. Hughes in World War II:
The poem is written to flow as “Twas the night before Christmas”
We encountered the enemy Three e-boats in force
They were ready and waiting We held true to our course.
Our guns trained starboard Through the enveloping black And the stillness was shattered, The command was “Attack !”
Our opening salvo followed a line so true Of the three that started now there were two
The battle continued that perilous night
it was kill or be killed and God was our might.
The firing was merciless, Round after round
Til we wounded another And ran her aground
Deserted by her crew
In the face of our guns Of the three that started Now there was one.
The last of the schulls
Of the Fuerher’s Third Reich, Bewildered and battered Found themselves in a plight!
With nothing before them But death or defeat
They scuttled their ship Started using their feet
The battle was over, The battle was won
Of the three that started Now there were none.
Contents
Culture .............................................. 4-6 In Memoriam.........................................7 Achiever ................................................ 8 Book Notes.......................................... 10 Dining In and Out............................ 12-13 The Chef’s Perspective...................13-14 Happenings .................................... 16-17 Through the Grapevine ........................ 18 Wellness.............................................. 19 Per I Bambini.......................................20 It’s All Good ................................... 22-23 Carman ...............................................23 Language ............................................ 24 Pagina Italiana.....................................25 News From Italy ..................................26 Arts and Entertainment .......................27
By Barbara Ann Zippi
July is a month when Americans celebrate freedom. What does that mean to the generations
of Italian Americans here in the United States? For me, it meant
learning both my grandfathers, born in Italy, fought in World War I. My father's father, Paul Zippi, fought in the Italian Army while my mother's father, Guido Acciavatti, fought in the American Army. According to the Sons of Italy, they have identified 26 Italian-American Medal of Honor recipients beginning with U.S. Army Corporal George Ferrari, who fought in the Indian Wars in 1869.
World War I (1914 - 1918)
With more than 4 million Italians immigrating to the United States between 1880 and 1924 and America entering the war in 1917, Congress authorized a draft allowing immigrants to enlist if they had filed papers declaring their intentions to become U.S. citizens. Elevating their status from “pick and shovel” immigrants, this incentive saw tens of thousands of Italians shipped off to the trenches of France, proud to go to war for their new country. My grandfather Guido was among them.
World War II (1939 - 1945)
Like many first-generation Italian- Americans, my uncles among them, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force in 1943. He stated that
one way for Italians to show their loyalty
to America was to fight in the war. Despite the fact that many Italian Americans were looked upon as second-class citizens during this time, between 750,000 and 1.5 million people of Italian descent served during WW II, and 14 of them received the Medal of Honor for their service.
My grandmother Mary's brother Albert Del Conte, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, at 24 years old was killed in action on Feb.
25, 1945. He never came home and is buried overseas. My uncle, Al Albertini,
also known as Al Alberts, served in the U.S. Navy as a radio dispatcher aboard the USS Charles F. Hughes. His poem, published in a
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Navy journal, is his account of the battle he survived but never spoke about.
Korean War (1950 - 1953)
Many Italian Americans served in the Korean War. My father, Anthony Paul Zippi, due to his expertise in electrical engineering, while boarding the plane to Korea, was called back to base for an electrical emergency
and the base commander asked for him personally. In a sense, my father’s electrical expertise saved his life. Approximately 37,000 Americans lost their lives in the Korean War, with 92,000 wounded and some still missing to this day.
Vietnam (1955 - 1975)
American was at war in Vietnam from the time I was born until after I graduated high school. My cousin Vincent DiGiulio Jr. served in that war, like his father before him fighting in WW II. Approximately 2.7 million U.S. Servicemen saw active duty in Vietnam. In recent years while representing the Delaware County Veterans Memorial in Newtown Square, Pa., I had the privilege of meeting Italian-American Air Force Officer Ralph Galati, who endured 14 months as a POW. Most of the soldiers returned home after the war to a less-than-welcoming social climate.
When you see a soldier or meet a veteran, thank them for their service, seek out the War Memorial in your town, and bring your children or grandchildren. These brave men and women risk their lives going overseas
to war so that we can have the freedoms we have on American soil.
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