European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                M Dai Bazine a depiction Olla skill of italian Alpina troops during world War i Campaign. The great War s by Dontate stall writers ome Call it the forgotten front. Bui standing in the Lille cemetery Cul Cut of inc mosly noun lain Woods Gianni Pieropan Stamps a too on the cold ground and remembers Well remembers his Fathor coming Home from the Irani whoever keeps up this neat cemetery where the soldiers of 1917-18 lie Una ii the Day Breaks. Also remembers Pici Opan one of Italy s Foremost historians islands there among to  soldiers etched in White Slone comparing the horrors the meanings Tho results of world wars. He stuff his hands in his overcoat pocket and shakes his head. They Don t like o talk about ii. Their hearts weren t in  he s talking about world War ii now. A War in which the people of Northern Italy did i hair duty against Ihor instincts. Their Hoar la wore never  for one thing says Pieropan they were fighting again their natural allies torn the War they prefer to remember world War i. Seventy four years ago this Spring War erupted on the forgotten front. All Tho names on the stones of this cemetery near asiago in northeastern Haly ate of englishmen who fell in Battle. Other English cemeteries Are scattered through hese a mountains the English the French and near Iho end oven Iho americana came to help defend the soil of Italy. Tho Mammoth clash of armies in Tho trenches along Europe s Western front got the big. Bloody headlines. But m the incredible Lorrain rimming Tho North of Italy where inc great White Teeth of the italian Alps swim through the Clouds to lock into Tho Greal while Leola of Iho austrian Alps Battles raged in conditions so hostile and terrible Hal conventional military thin Wing was Oilen reduced  Many pack ufos could be mus cred to save the  War Hal would toil Down Onlo the Plains and along inc flooded Rivers would finally unfold a grand  italians rising from the Depths of a disastrous Retreat where once Brave soldiers lied like rabbits to the Heights of stunning Triumph after All seemed Osl. Italy had declared War against Austria Hungary in ma/1915 to Tike Back what she regarded As her a Lurl Boundary Lualta Iai Donta Unrod Cesped Nlaly. This Ler Tilory. The rugged Trent in the Norih and around Trieste in the East lost in earlier conflicts stuck me bloody horns into Lloyy o head and its Pride moreover in left to Northern italian Plains Ripo Tor austrian  the italians full of spoil believed in the attack says Pieropan. They attacked Early against the feared despised austrians but Hoy were generally battling in she wrong direction up the Slippery soul Horn slopes of the Alps toward the Heights hold by the aus lilians neither Side went very far up Down or sideways either in Iho Trentino or along Iho repeatedly Conle sled Sonzo River Roll in Tho cast where there would to no less thai 12 major Battles fought Belore it was All Over. In the Trentino in Tho Spring of 1916, there was an austrian Gelort to blow Italy out of the War in one dramatic swoop heavily reinforced with men and artillery he had stripped from Olner fronts the austrians under gun. Franz Conrad von Holzendorff known a Conrad kicked Oil his bold offensive fourteen divisions and thousands of guns were sent driving Down irom the mountains through the great edges and Gorges the undulating element ravaged plateaus of the Trentino so split with great ridges Gorges and Gigantic Rock alls. Conrad s grand gambit was calculated of Cut behind Tho main italian forces concentrated northward toward the Sonzo pocket quickly build Oil. Across the Northern Plains toward Venice on the Adriatic sea trap to italians and Knock Italy Cut of the War. Continued on Pago 14 sunday. April 16. 1989 the stars and stripes Pago 13