April 8-9

AFTER THE LIBERATION OF ROME NISEI TOUR
Rome to Arno
Day 1: The Liberation of Suverto and Belvedere.
The Battle of Belvedere, specifically in the context of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team near Suvereto on June 26, 1944, was a critical action in Italy where the 100th Battalion helped seize key high ground. This victory, involving Japanese-American soldiers, was a vital part of the Allied push toward the Arno River and Pisa.
Our group was enlightened by Roberto, a local historian, who displayed WWII artifacts from the region, after which we enjoyed many glasses of wine and a delicious multicourse meal. Our home base for the next two nights was the medieval city of Volterra, where we stayed at a charming hotel. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volterra Due to time constraints, I was disappointed that we were unable to visit the Etruscan Museum, but we were able to do a walking tour exploring this ancient, hillside fortress of a town.
Day 2: Hill 140, nicknamed "Little Cassino," was a crucial and bloody World War II battle site in Italy, fought in July 1944 by the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Nisei soldiers (Japanese-Americans) faced fierce resistance from German SS and Luftwaffe troops near Castellina for five days. It was called Little Cassino due to the intense, localized fighting reminiscent of the main Monte Cassino battle. 
We were led on a hike to the battle site by the men of Toscana '44 a volunteer organization who excavate and maintain Hill 140 and who reenacted a skirmish, along with the Iron Cross. https://www.facebook.com/share/1CYvEJbgUp/
https://www.instagram.com/ass.toscana44?igsh=MW…
We thoroughly enjoyed an afternoon meal in Castellina Marittima, followed by a documentary film, presentation and gifts from Toscana '44.
Source: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRDc6whWMOw
It is amazing how the people we've met honor the Japanese-American soldiers who fought here. They are far more knowledgeable about our shared history than we are. Especially since my father and his peers rarely spoke of their war experiences.Læs mere