This is the recounting and the diary of my life - Marino Mattei

5.

Sadly, the year passed quickly and I had to return to the military draft examination. This was in 1935 and Italy had entered into a war against Ethiopia. For the visit I went to Bagni di Lucca and, as I did the first time, I presented my certificate concerning the long illness I'd had but the medical officials did not even look at it. We were at war and they were taking everyone and that included me.

Nearly a year passed before they called me into the service but on the first of April 1936 I received a letter - I had to present myself at the District of Lucca on the 10th of April. This was during the final days of Carnival and I decided to join in the celebration. Parisse had friends in San Casciano di Controni and he took me up there. We left without telling anyone - even my parents knew nothing about it. I did not bring money because Parisse told me that he was paying for everything. We left on Saturday morning at around 10 o'clock. As I've already said, no one knew of our intentions but when we arrived in the Fondi - that being at the bottom edge of the village - we encountered Ilia and Zela and they wanted to know where we were going. Parisse was immediately ready with a response. He told them we were heading for an unknown destination and that we did not know when we were returning.

We walked down to Ghivizzano and at that time there were no roads. At Ghivizzano we took a train to Fornoli. From there we took a bus to Bagni alla Villa where we had lunch and, as I said, Parisse was paying. As soon as we had eaten we left for San Casciano di Controni. There too we walked on foot because the road was under construction and it was still not passible for automobiles. Along the road, in each small village that we passed, Parisse seemed to find someone that he knew and we would stop to talk and they would all offer us something to drink. Finally, at around 5 o'clock we arrived at San Casciano. They had been waiting for us there and they had prepared a meal and they were extremely hospitable. As I said, it was the last three days of Carnival and after finishing our meal we went to a dance in the village. We remained there for three days and they were three days of great enjoyment.

At the end of these three days we departed for Gromignana. When I arrived home my mother, whom I had not told about our leaving, was very angry. But given that in a few days I was going to be leaving for the military she soon calmed down. Inexplicably, my father hardly said a word. These few days passed quickly and on the morning of April 10, 1936 myself and many of my friends from the nearby villages presented ourselves at the District of Lucca. We found a great confusion there. We once again had to go through a simple physical examination and then they assigned us to particular branches of the service and told us where we were to be stationed. I, with many others, was sent to the second regiment Alpini Battaglione Saluzzo of the Cuneenz. That same night we departed for Saluzzo, Piemonte, Cuneo province [northern Italian region, adjacent to the French border]. I didn't even know what part of Italy this was but there were many of us going there and someone was driving us so I was not concerned. Still very disoriented and confused, I left Lucca with the other men in the evening. Along with me was Buffai who was the brother of Luigi, the guard of Coreglia. It was a long night and as God willed it in the morning we arrived in Saluzzo. There was a sergeant and a corporal there to meet us at the station and they took us to the barracks of the Second Regiment Alpini and there I began my military life.

The first five months were very hard. For two months we remained in Saluzzo engaged in basic military training. We were never really off duty other than three hours, from six to nine at night, when we had free access. The rest of the day they kept us busy. After two months all the companies were relocated. My company was sent to Venasca - a small village not too distant from Saluzzo. There we learned various tactics of war and again, we were kept very busy. We remained in Venasca approximately a month and a half and then we began the very strenuous maneuvers which lasted 45 days. It was a terrible life; long marches through mountainous areas such as Piandere [unknown], Pian Della Regina, Mon Viso, Vinadio, Largetera Castello [unknown], Castel del Fino. In a word, all the mountains that encompassed the Province of Cuneo. Finally, after 45 days, dead tired, we returned to Saluzzo. We arrived completely exhausted, our feet so ruined that we literally could no longer walk.

We were to have had three days of absolute rest but on the following morning, myself and another 11 men were called up and we were sent to the military depot of mobilization in Costigliole di Saluzzo. I remained there for the entirety of my [first tour of] military service. At Costigliole they put me to work in the kitchen. I had only 12 men to cook for and I very much enjoyed my stay there. Part of our supplies were in the depot but I had to go outside the compound to buy bread, vegetables, meat and other items such as this. Consequently, I had permission to leave at my own discretion provided that the food was prepared at the assigned times. I stayed at Costigliole for 13 months and that, I believe, was the best time of my life. Thirteen unforgettable months - not much money in my pocket but I was 20 years old and full of life and without worries.

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© 2009 by Maurice Mattei
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