(actually, this is Ferrara...) just a reminiscence....

My dad was born in Italy, came to the U.S. when he was 12. He was drafted in 1943, when he was 38, a bit old for army life; and married with 2 small kids. Boot camp in New Jersey in winter: he came down with pneumonia and was too sick to be moved when his unit shipped out. He said they were in the Anzio landing and suffered terrible casualties.... Always think of those men when Anzio is mentioned, or when I hear this song.... Dad finished the war in California, in the Signal Corps outfit that broke the main Japanese code. The wife and kids stayed in D.C. He never ever took us camping.... Said that he got enough camping in the Army to last him a lifetime.