Camps
Held In: LATERINA, ITALY FOR 90 DAYS: STALAG 7A FOR 20 DAYS:
STALAG 7B WORKED ON FARM IN UNTERTHURHEIM, GERMANY
How Long
Interned: 433 days
Liberated /
repatriated:liberated
Date
Liberated: 04/26/45
Age at
Capture: 20
Medals
Received: GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, COMBAT INFANTRYMAN BADGE,
EUROPEAN THEATER MEDAL WITH THREE BRONZE BATTLE STARS, WORLD WAR II
MEDAL, POW MEDAL AND IN FEB. 1992 AWARDED THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL FOR
MERITORIOUS ACTION IN COMBAT.
Military
Job: MACHINE GUNNER, HEAVY WEAPONS
Company:
WESTINGHOUSE and SELF EMPLOYED
Occupation
after War: HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR
Bio:
CORDINO LONGIOTTI
Born on May 27, 1923 in Greenville, Pa. of Italian immigrants. Inducted
into the Army on Feb. 3. 1943. Basic training at Fort McClellan, Al. We
set sail for Africa on June 9, 1943. Joined with the 45th Division,
179th Infantry Co. D in Palermo, Sicily July 31. as assistant gunner and
later a gunner on 30 caliber water cooled machine gun. On Sept. 9 we
landed on the Salerno Beachhead, Italy. After some hard fighting we made
our way northward to Venafro, near Cassino. From there we landed on the
Anzio beachhead where the fighting was ferocious. On February 18, 1944
we, (two machine gun squads), were deserted by our own troops, the enemy
came from behind and our squad was taken prisoner with bayonets jabbing
our backs. It was only by the grace of GOD that we survived. We were
taken to a German first Aid station surrounded with tanks when we were
strafed by our own P-51 fighter planes. We were about 90 prisoners lined
up, we all hit the ground and not one was injured, except 2 German
soldiers were killed, one was sitting directly behind me on an
ammunition box. From there we were taken to a LICE ridden camp in
Laterina, Italy, with about 400 pows, where we remained for 3 months.
Life there was barely livable, water only every other day, never a
change of clothes. Food--cup of coffee for breakfast, cup of soup for
lunch with a small piece of bread, and a cup of tea or soup for supper.
Enough to just barely stay alive, In 3 months I lost 40 pounds, everyone
in camp had dysentery. On June 8 we were loaded into boxcars like cattle
and after three days arrived at Mooseburg, Germany. The camp there was
more like a prison than camp. After one month we were taken to Augsburg,
where we built out own camp which was hit by our planes after we left.
We were also cleaning up the rubble from our bombings in the city and
airport and taking shelter with civilians when our bombers overhead were
dropping bombs. When asked what I did in civilian life, I said I was a
farmer (hoping to get to work on a farm where there was food). On August
8 we were taken by truck to Memmington (stalag VII-B) and 18 of us went
by train to Unterthurheim, a farming community southwest of Augsburg.
There we worked from sun-up to sun-down every day, farming in summer and
cutting firewood in winter. Life on the farm was hard work but the food
also was much better, we ate what the farmers ate. I contacted
Diphtheria in Jan. 1945 and was taken by train to a civilian hospital
for two weeks. There I was reminded of my brother that died from
Diphtheria when I was seven years old.
I remained there until liberated by the third infantry division on April
25, 1945. After liberated the German Sergeant in charge gave me his
revolver for a souvenir.
On October 1995 my lovely wife Loretta and I celebrated our 50th
anniversary. We have two children, Karen Jean and William Alan, and
seven grandchildren.
Message to Future Generations:
War!!! “.... It does not determine who is right or who is wrong....
Only who is left” {Author unknown} “We live within the shadow of
the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all Gods” {Ps.91:1}
I am proud to have fought for the freedom or our country and I uphold
the American flag with great respect. We truly are “one nation under
God with liberty and justice for all”. This is the greatest country
in the world, even though some complain about little faults.
Regardless of any faults this country may have it is still the only
place in the world that I would live in and it is still worth fighting
for. I was willing to fight for the freedom of our country and even
give my life if necessary, but it was only by the Grace of God that I
was able to make it through to be here today. We should never forget
our Creator. King David wrote “Though a thousand shall fall at thy
side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; harm shall not come unto
thee” (Ps 91-7) I have not seen thousands fall but I have seen many,
even hundreds that were killed in war and hundreds more injured, many
for life.. I encourage everyone to read about the history of our
country and the wars that were fought for the freedom of the USA, and
the brave men that fought and gave their lives so we can have that
freedom for our future generations. Dying for freedom is not the worst
thing that could happen, but being forgotten is.
