NOT DUDY?: Benny Pessia e-mails us: “”You will no doubt get many
calls and e-mails concerning your Round The Square article for
Thursday, Nov. 30. If the doctor you mention had the nickname of
‘Dudy’ Frisina, then you are speaking of Dominic Frisina, not
Robert Frisina who graduated in 1943. He was the basketball player
you speak of in the article. At least that’s what my 1942 yearbook
shows. So I believe the name can’t be Robert unless you are
speaking of another.””[neWLine]
[neWLine]
THAT’S COLD!: You think winters in Bradford are
cold?[neWLine]
Consider this note from Elmer DeLucia of Bradford, a corporal in
A Company, 4.2 mortars, 81st Battalion, remembering the Battle of
Bulge some 62 years ago:[neWLine]
“”A special tribute to the American troops. Bitter cold weather.
Snow covered the ground. Von Rudstedt in all but attack struck on
Dec. 16 at the weakest part of the Allied line, south of Liege and
northwest of Bastogne.[neWLine]
“”By Dec. 23, the Germans had broken through in an area south to
Wiltz. The American troops 101st Airborne at Bastogne 9th and 10th
Armored stopped the German steamroller in the Ardennes. Artillery
ammunition was low.[neWLine]
“”Our Company A 4.2 mortars were called upon for the bulk of the
fire missions.[neWLine]
“”The ground was frozen. Hard time to dig our mortars in and our
foxholes. My gloves were stiff. I removed them to set the readings
on my sight. A wrong reading could drop a shell on our
troops.[neWLine]
“”I do not believe many people realized how important this
battle was. Many American troops will never see another Christmas.
For two weeks, we were in bitter cold weather. I saw American
troops who were killed on that frozen ground. Will never know their
names – they are the real heroes. God bless them.””[neWLine]
Elmer adds: “”P.S. I’ll be home for Christmas. I wish I could
Dec. 25, 1944, in the Ardennes.””[neWLine]
[neWLine]
TODAY’S QUOTE: “”The distance between banning the burning of
flags and requiring the burning of books may be much shorter than
we think,”” said Dan Hagen, journalist and educator, Sullivan
(Ill.) News-Progress, 1995.[neWLine]
As always, today’s quote is courtesy of the Freedom Forum.
