Hello Everyone,
During the Fall of 2013 I had an internship opportunity working at the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy. I had a wonderful time while I was there. I was one of two American interns working at this time, although there were many more US military officers attending courses. I made many Italian friends and thoroughly enjoyed my time in Rome. While this was fun, I am an avid history nerd at heart. I wanted to go to Monte Cassino and walk the battlefield. I had always read of the first truly "international battle" before and was determined to get to the top of mountain and see the famous Abbey. I did my research and found that there was a military museum close to the train stop. I finally got a train ticket and got on the train for a four hour ride. In October the weather in Rome was BEAUTIFUL to say the least. I was able to wear shorts, during my time off work, there until early November. My trip to Cassino was in October so I thought that the weather would have been the same.... I was wrong. When I reached the train station, it was overcast and very chilly. Right away I saw the Abbey and the mountains that dominated the surrounding valleys and I could understand at that instant why the allied troops wanted the terrain and why the Germans fought so tenaciously for it.

 

 

 

I made my way around town and found where the museum was only to see that it was closed for the season... there was no mention of this on their website at the time. I had a decision to make, I could either get back on the train and go back to Rome, or I could try getting up to the Abbey myself. Being hardheaded as I am, I decided to try to get to the top. I would walk. I used some terrain analysis and determined the best route to attempt to make it to the top.

 

 

The town of Cassino is pretty large and bear no trace of the battle that took place there. As I made my way to the outskirts of the town, a different story occurred. I was beginning to see large stone bunkers and burnt out building. These had a lot of foliage growing around them but there was no mistaking what these ruins were.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The road continued to wind back and forth and more and more ruins appeared.

 

 

 

 

 

It started to mist and I took cover in what I assumed was an old living room. As I sat waiting for the rain to stop, the most eerie thing occurred. Church bells started their solemn tolling. It was one of the saddest things I have ever heard to this day. By that point I was halfway up the mountain but the rain continued for a good while.

I could see, even though I was only halfway up the mountain, how dominating the view was and why both sides would want it.

 

 

 

I determined when it stopped that I would go back to the train depot. So, like the allied soldiers on the first attempt up the mountain, I did not reach my goals. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to go back to Monte Cassino during the rest of my time in Italy. I will return one day and make it up that mountain.

 

Here is the link to the website of the museum in Cassino. http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/1183/Museum-Battle-of-Monte-Cassino.htm?p=2I would still recommend going there because they have a M-10 tank destroyed that was rescued from the valley after the war. On top of the mountain there is a knocked out Sherman tank that is used as a war memorial to this day.

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the little adventure,

Thaddeus

 

 

 

That is cool. Thanks for posting.

Very cool. I have a set of dog tags to a soldier wounded there. Great to see pics of it today to relate to the battle he was in.

Awesome trip you had.Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

Nick

Thank for sharing.

 

-Dave

Thanks for sharing these great pictures. A close friend from work got his Sherman shot out from under him at this location. He has now passed away but I thoroughly enjoyed his war stories. What he went through in the war was absolutely amazing.

Regards, Mitch

Thanks for the comments!

 

 

Mitch - I wished I could have made it to more battlefields while I was in Italy! Monte Cassino has always been on the top of my list though. What these soldiers went through was amazing. Truly the greatest generation.

 

Thaddeus

Thank you for taking me up the mountain with you via the photos. Well done.

Wonderful photos and what an amazing experience. That is a place I would like to go someday. I've collected a handful of Polish items associated with the battle, and your photos help put in perspective what the terrain was like.

 

That Sherman monument is really neat!

A very interesting thread and photos...must have been a great experience!

Mike

Thank you for posting your great trip. Hope you make it back. Bobgee

Thanks all for the comments. Bob, I made it back last December! This was over a year ago!

 

Thaddeus

Fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences on a battle site that seems to get very little modern attention or coverage.

Great Report.

 

More pics please !

 

owen

Thanks for the comments! I wish that I had more pictures! I was trying to dodge the rain and was unable to get very many.

 

Thaddeus

I've always wondered what-if anything- was there to signify that ever happened. Thanks for the shots.

I wonder what the locals think of the war from their context today? Any resentment for the allied flattening of the abbey or is it considered the price for liberating them from the axis (which they'd willingly joined prior to the war, that is...)?

Im not sure what their feelings were. The city of Cassino actually surprised me.... when I got off the train, the first thing I saw was a lot of Arabic writing on the shops. Evidently there is a significant arab population there now.

 

Thaddeus

thanks for sharing

Great pics. Another place I wish to visit.

Thst Sherman is a outstanding memorial.

Looks like its getting over grown.Hope they will keep this from happening.