European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tell them Rome has fallen by sue Palumbo Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a Scott Standridge said he breathed a heavy sigh of Relief when he heard another soldiers voice on the other end of the phone he had just hooked up. A they went in they took Rome. Tell them Rome has fallen a the voice said. It was june 4, 1944, and the 5th army had just advanced into the italian capital. Standridge 71, a world War ii Veteran of the . Army Campaign at Anzio recalled his wartime duty in an interview with the stars and stripes earlier this year. The signal corps lineman was assigned to set up communications links Between the commander and the Field. He and three or four other men would wind their Way through the Battleground to connect Headquarters with Field units. A a  a  a a. Though the army technician five was not a combat troop when he arrived in Italy in september 1943, he said he came closer to death than he Ever wanted. Once while shinning up a pole to run a Telephone wire a German plane buzzed him. Deciding it was better to jump than get shot Standridge Dove off the pole. His antics landed him in the medical tent with a hernia. The americans had just begun to break out of the Anzio beachhead May 12 when Standridge and his squad were sent up the App Ian Way toward Rome to set up communications with those who would meet the germans first. Midway Between Anzio and Rome at the City of Veletri Standridge came upon a Battle scene. A the dead were so thick you could have walked across them a Standridge said. A Thea Friendly Welcome Naples Italy a army 1st it. Rocky Hoffman a most vivid memory of world War ii was not of death and destruction but of people who opened their arms and their Homes to the american soldiers. Hoffman was assigned to the air warning a Center for the air forces 64th fighter Wing and kept track of Allied and enemy aircraft while his unit was based in Naples until after the blockade at Anzio was broken May 12,1944. He arrived in Rome a few Days after it had fallen to the allies on june 4. A the italian people treated us like one of their own a Hoffman said. While in Naples he lived a with an italian family for several weeks. When his unit arrived in Rome he was one of the few who was not surprised by the passionate Welcome. A they welcomed us with open arms a said the 75-year-old retired officer from Palm s4s Sun Polumbo Harbor Fla. A they have Rocky Hoffman never been a violent fit Scott Standridge survived the fighting at Anzio in 1944 and today lives in Naples. A amps sue Palumbo smell. You could Tell it had been hand to hand combat because Many had used bayonets. The Sun was beating Down which just made the stench worse. Ill never forget that  the blackened corpses were a mixture of germans and americans. Judging by the debris scattered about it looked As if the americans had been surprised at lunch he said. He Bent Down and plucked a medal from one germans uniform. He knew it was against orders but he did it anyway. Hours later Standridge was by his truck when he saw a four germans coming at me. I had my gun but id never used it except in  the germans raised their arms in surrender he said. A they kept saying a Brud Brud a a Standridge explained a a they just wanted food a they were hungry and wanted to give  Standridge sent them Back Down the Middle of the Road toward Anzio. He told them that As Long As they walked Down the Middle of the Road with people. And i think they were tired of the War a like we All  americans were greeted with hugs and Flowers and thanks from people whom the War had left Little Hoffman said. Sue palumbos Essonie respect a Aples Italy Herman Chanowitz said he Learned the True meaning of respect in 1944. As an officer in the army Chanowitz saw firsthand what lengths his compatriots went through for their country. A we were american soldiers living under impossible conditions doing things that could never be done again. It was sheer determination a said the world War ii communications and Survey officer for the 2nd tac air comm so. The Squadron was broken up into teams that spread out in jeeps equipped with five kilowatt generators. The main unit was based out of Naples with the teams going Back and Forth to Anzio by ferry. Chanowitz a Job was to make sure his teams got where they needed to go in one piece. The americans hit the Beach at Anzio on Jan. Their hands raised they a be of. Standridge still carries around the medal he found on the dead German but he said a cyanide Pill he found locked inside has Long since decomposed. His Best memory of the War involves an italian woman. While assigned to Naples he was sent to break up a commotion in the town Square. Several italians desperate for water were crowding the Only working Fountain left in town. Within minutes he and his buddies had set up a system for everyone to get their share. As he turned to go he noticed a girl sitting on the Wall with her family waiting patiently for their turn. A she was the most Beautiful girl id Ever seen and she was smiling at me a Standridge said. A it took me two years but her Mother finally decided she liked me and we got  forty nine years later the two still Are happily married and living in Naples. A i believe in destiny a said Virginia Standridge standing beside the former i she married. A amps Sun Palumbo go Herman Chanowitz and today in Naples 22, 1944, and were pinned Down there until May 12. A. ,. A people were wet tired frustrated and scared Chanowitz said. A they weren to just fighting the germans they were battling Mother nature and War itself a he explained. No one could move without the enemy knowing. Thousands of soldiers on the ground were at the enemy a mercy without Allied air support. The hard part was trying to pinpoint where the support was needed and get it there in time Chanowitz said. In the beginning it took up to three hours to get air support. But near the end Chanowitz said they had it Down to 15 minutes. At the time we did no to have career officers or soldiers a he recalled. A we had a Bunch of Guys thrown together who folded themselves into a fighting Force. We Learned to do what we had to do sue Palumbo 30 a stars and stripes commemorative edition june 6,1994