August 15th, 1943 9:40 hours
Norfolk Naval Station Virginia private Giuseppe Marino of the Italian Army
stood on the deck of the transport ship watching the Virginia coastline approach
his hands gripping the rail so tightly his knuckles were white he’d been captured in
Tunisia three months earlier when Italian forces collapsed
under Allied assault he’d spent weeks in North African P O W
camps before being loaded onto this ship with 800 other Italian prisoners
for transport to America during the Atlantic crossing
he’d had plenty of time to imagine what awaited him
harsh labor camps minimal food guards who’d treat Italian
prisoners with the cruelty that enemy captives deserved
the ship docked and American MPs began organizing the prisoners for disembarkation
Marino shuffled down the gangway with the others trying to look alert despite
exhaustion from the voyage an American sergeant with a clipboard
was checking off prisoners as they filed past and when Marino reached him
the sergeant looked at his identification tag and smiled
Marino the sergeant said hey my name is Marino too
staff sergeant Anthony Marino 3rd generation from Palermo
where’s your family from Marino stared at the American sergeant
at his US Army uniform at his face that could have belonged
to any of Marino’s cousins back in Sicily
at the name Marino stenciled on his uniform for a moment he couldn’t
process what was happening this American soldier
who was guarding Italian prisoners who represented the enemy
that had defeated Italy’s forces this man was also Marino
probably from the same region possibly even distantly related
Palermo Marino finally managed in broken English my family also Palermo
Sergeant Marino grinned and said something in rapid
Sicilian dialect that made several nearby prisoners laugh
despite their circumstances then he switched back to English
welcome to America Paisa you’re going to be fine here
we take care of our own even when they’re on the wrong side
for Giuseppe Marino and approximately 51,000 other Italian POWs
who would be held in more than 600 camps across America
during the war that first encounter with Italian American guards
workers and civilians created cognitive dissonance
that challenged everything they’d expected about captivity
and about the nation they’d been fighting against the unexpected destination
the decision to transport Italian POWs to America rather than holding them
in North Africa or Britain was driven by practical logistics
rather than humanitarian considerations the massive number of
prisoners captured in Tunisia over 275,000 Italian and German soldiers
surrendered in May 1943 overwhelmed local detention capacity
Britain couldn’t house them without diverting resources from war effort
North Africa lacked infrastructure to support large p O
w populations America had space resources
and agricultural labor shortages that POWs could help address
the scale of Italian POW transport to America was substantial Between June
1943 and September 1943 approximately 51,000 Italian military personnel
were shipped across the Atlantic to camps established throughout
the American interior they joined approximately 5,000 Italian civilians
who’d been interned at war’s start and were being held in detention facilities
separate from military Pows the military prisoners ranged from teenagers
conscripted just before capture to career soldiers who’d fought in North Africa
Sicily and other theaters the expectations Italian POWs carried to America
were shaped by propaganda about American brutality
and by their own military’s treatment of prisoners
Italian forces in North Africa had treated British and Allied prisoners harshly
inadequate food minimal medical care forced labor in dangerous conditions
the Italian prisoners assumed they’d receive similar
or worse treatment from Americans the propaganda had emphasized
American cultural inferiority and suggested that democratic
societies produced weak undisciplined soldiers
who’d treat prisoners badly out of incompetence rather than deliberate cruelty
the camp system the POW camps established across America for Italian prisoners
ranged from large installations holding thousands to small branch camps
attached to farms or work projects holding dozens
the camps were distributed across 45 states though concentrated heavily
in agricultural regions where labor shortages made prisoner work valuable
the living conditions in American POW camps were governed by Geneva Convention requirements
and by American military efficiency that ensured adequate food
housing and medical care the typical camp provided barracks housing
three meals daily meeting minimum 2,900 calorie requirements
medical facilities staffed by American and
prisoner medical personnel recreational facilities
and opportunities for work that provided small wages
the conditions exceeded what many Italian soldiers
had experienced in their own military service and far exceeded what they’d
expected from captivity the food was particularly
striking to Italian POWs who’d been on reduced rations
during North Africa campaigns American military rations provided abundant food
by Italian military standards meat bread vegetables
coffee desserts the meals weren’t Italian cuisine
but they were adequate and sometimes generous many POWs gained weight during captivity recovering from malnutrition
experienced during combat and after capture
Corporal Antonio Romano captured in Tunisia and held at a camp in Texas
described the food situation in a letter to his family
we eat three times every day the food is American strange
to our taste sometimes but there is always enough meat almost daily
fresh bread coffee and sugar I have gained 15 pounds since arriving here
the guards joke that we eat better than Italian soldiers
did in the field and it is true I am healthier as prisoner in America
than I was as soldier fighting in Africa the work programs the Geneva Convention
allowed prisoners to be employed in nonmilitary work
and American authorities quickly
organized work programs that addressed agricultural labor shortages
while providing prisoners with activity and small wages
the work assignments varied widely harvesting crops logging
food processing construction maintenance and various agricultural tasks
the work brought Italian POWs into direct contact with American civilians
particularly farmers and agricultural workers these encounters often revealed
shared Italian heritage as prisoners worked alongside
Italian American farmers or in communities with significant Italian
American populations the cultural connections that emerged
complicated the prisoner captor dynamic and created relationships that neither
side had anticipated the work conditions were generally reasonable
by both Geneva Convention standards and by comparison to what Italian P 0
ws had experienced in military service hours were limited safety
standards were maintained and prisoners received small wages
typically 80 cents daily in script that could be used at camp canteens
the work was often agricultural labor familiar to many prisoners from rural
Italian backgrounds the supervision was typically professional
rather than harsh the Italian American complexity for Italian American guards and civilians
interacting with Italian POWs the situation created complex emotional responses
they were Americans serving American interests but they were also people with cultural
and often family connections to Italy who found themselves managing prisoners
from their ancestral homeland the dual identity created tensions that varied depending on individual
circumstances and attitudes some Italian Americans maintained strict
professional distance from POWs emphasizing their American identity
and treating prisoners as enemies regardless of shared heritage
others found themselves drawn to prisoners who reminded them of family members
who spoke dialects their grandparents had spoken who came from towns and regions
they’d heard about throughout their childhoods the range of responses reflected broader
Italian American community tensions between maintaining ethnic identity
and demonstrating American loyalty the Italian
American community faced particular pressures during the war Italy was enemy nation
and Italian Americans were sometimes viewed with suspicion
despite their American citizenship and their service in American military
the community responded by emphasizing American patriotism
by serving in disproportionate numbers in military
and by carefully navigating the complexity of having cultural connections to enemy nation
while being thoroughly American in loyalty and identity
staff sergeant Vincent Russo who supervised Italian P 0
W’s at a California camp described his conflicted feelings
my parents came from Naples I grew up speaking Italian at home
when Italy declared war it felt personal like family had betrayed us
but then I’m assigned to guard Italian prisoners and they’re just guys like my cousins
speaking the same dialect my grandmother spoke I had to separate my job from my heritage
I treated them fairly as prisoners but I made sure they understood
I was American first still
I’d catch myself helping them more than I should have
explaining things in Italian when I could have made them struggle with English
looking the other way when they bent minor rules the connection was there
whether I wanted it or not the first encounters the initial encounters
between Italian P 0 ws and their American guards and handlers
consistently produced surprise and confusion as prisoners discovered
that many of the Americans wore Italian names spoke Italian dialects
and had family connections to the same regions of Italy
the prisoners came from the statistics of Italian American population
explained the pattern by 1940 approximately
4.

6 million Americans identified as Italian or of Italian descent
roughly 3.

5% of total US population they were concentrated
heavily in northeastern and Midwestern states where many P O W camps would be
established in cities like New York Boston Philadelphia
Chicago and San Francisco Italian Americans
comprised significant percentages of local populations
many had parents or grandparents who’d immigrated from Italy
spoke Italian at home maintained cultural
connections to Italian regions and identified strongly with Italian heritage
even while being thoroughly American the military service patterns
of Italian Americans added another layer of complexity
approximately 500,000 Italian Americans served in US military
during World War two about 10% of Italian American population
roughly proportional to overall American military service rates
they served in all branches and theaters including as guards and
administrators in POW camps holding Italian prisoners
the situation created awkward encounters where American soldiers
with Italian names guarded fed and managed prisoners from the nation
their parents or grandparents had left decades earlier private Giuseppe Marino’s experience at Norfolk
was replicated across hundreds of camps as Italian POWs encountered
Italian American guards camp workers and local civilians
the encounters typically followed similar patterns
initial confusion recognition of shared names or regional origins
awkward conversations mixing English and Italian and gradual development of relationships
that transcended the formal prisoner guard dynamic
the cultural exchange despite the formal prisoner guard relationship
cultural exchanges developed between Italian POWs and American communities particularly
in areas with significant Italian American populations
the exchanges ranged from simple conversation to shared meals to collaborative work
on projects that benefited both prisoners and locals
the exchanges often centered on food and traditional practices
Italian POWs would teach American guards or local civilians
how to prepare traditional Italian dishes using available ingredients
Italian American families would bring food to camps
fresh bread pasta traditional dishes that
reminded prisoners of home the culinary connections
created bonds that transcended the wartime enmity The Catholic Church
played significant role in facilitating cultural exchange many
Italian P 0 ws were Catholic and American Catholic parishes
often with Italian American congregations organized services
social events and assistance programs for prisoners
the religious connections created additional bridges between prisoners
and communities private Giuseppe Marino
working on a farm near Rochester New York encountered an Italian American family
who invited him to Sunday dinner after church an arrangement that technically
violated regulations but was tolerated by authorities
who recognized the humanitarian value they treated me like family
Marino wrote to his mother the grandmother spoke Sicilian dialect
like home they served pasta and wine and told stories about their village in Sicily
for a few hours I forgot I was prisoner they asked about current conditions in Sicily
I told them what I knew they told me about America
about how they’d built good life here it made me understand why they fought for America
even though Italy was their homeland they’d become Americans
without forgetting they were Italian the propaganda value American
authorities recognized the propaganda value of
treating Italian POWs well and facilitating positive
interactions with Italian American communities
the goal was encouraging Italian prisoners to view America favorably
and to spread positive reports about American conduct
that might influence Italian public opinion and military morale
the approach was remarkably successful Italian P 0 ws consistently wrote letters home
describing their treatment in terms that contradicted axis propaganda
about American brutality the letters emphasized abundant food
decent living conditions fair treatment and often mentioned encounters
with Italian Americans who’d shared names
regional origins and cultural connections the propaganda effect was amplified
when Italy signed armistice with allies in September 1943
and switched sides to fight against Germany Italian P O WS in America
were offered opportunity to volunteer for service with Allied forces and approximately 35,000
40,000 accepted roughly 70 80% of military age Italian P O WS
the high volunteer rate reflected both their treatment during captivity
and their willingness to fight against Germany once Italy formally changed allegiances
the paradox of captivity for many Italian POWs captivity in America created
paradoxical situation where imprisonment meant better living conditions
more food and greater security than they’d experienced as soldiers
in Italian military service the paradox challenged their
understanding of victory defeat and what constituted hardship
the conditions prompted reflection and sometimes bitter recognition
of how poorly Italian military had treated its own soldiers adequate food decent housing
medical care and fair treatment these basics that American captivity provided
highlighted by contrast how inadequate Italian military logistics
and leadership had been many prisoners concluded that they’d been sacrificed
by incompetent government and military leadership
that had sent them to fight without adequate preparation
supply or support Corporal Antonio
Romano articulated the paradox in a letter I am prisoner but I live
better than I did as soldier I am defeated but I am healthier and better fed
the Americans treat Italian prisoners better than Italian officers
treated Italian soldiers this makes me angry at my
own country’s leadership not at the Americans who captured me
they defeated us but they are not cruel our own leaders sent us to die
and didn’t care if we had food or equipment or medical care
who is the real enemy the friendships that formed despite regulations
discouraging fraternization between prisoners and guards or civilians
friendships formed between Italian POWs and Americans
particularly Italian Americans that would sometimes last beyond the war
the connections were built on shared cultural heritage
common humanity and simple human kindness that transcended wartime roles
the friendships were particularly strong between prisoners
and Italian American guards or civilians who’d worked closely with them
the shared language cultural references and often regional connections
created bonds that felt more like extended family than enemy relationships after the war
some Italian POWs would maintain correspondence with American friends they’d
made during captivity and a few would eventually immigrate to America
partly because of connections formed during imprisonment
staff sergeant Vincent Russo maintained correspondence
with several former POWs after the war
I’d guarded these guys for two years some of them I’d talked with almost daily
we’d discovered our families came from neighboring villages
in Italy after the war it felt natural to stay in touch
I visited one in Naples when I went to Italy in 1950
he showed me around introduced me to his family we talked about the war
and about how strange it had been that we’d met as guard and prisoner
the connection we’d formed during the war survived it
the repatriation the repatriation of Italian P 0 W’s began in 1945
after Germany’s defeat continuing through 1946 as shipping became available
and Italy’s post war situation stabilized enough to receive returning prisoners
for many prisoners repatriation was bittersweet they wanted to return home
and reunite with families but they were leaving country
where they’d been treated well and sometimes developed genuine friendships
the departing prisoners carried memories that would shape their postwar attitudes
toward America and sometimes influence their life decisions
many would tell families and friends about their treatment in American captivity
describing experiences that contradicted everything
they’d been taught about America before capture
some would eventually immigrate to America drawn by opportunities
and by positive memories of their time as prisoners
the repatriation also affected American guards and civilians who’d worked with prisoners
for Italian Americans particularly the departure of prisoners they’d befriended
created sense of loss the connections had been
complicated by circumstances but had been real nonetheless
the names that connected the moment when Giuseppe Marino
encountered Sergeant Anthony Marino at Norfolk Dock was replicated thousands of times
across hundreds of camps as Italian P 0 ws discovered that their guards
supervisors doctors chaplains and neighbors bore
the same surnames Marino Romano Russo Caruso
Demaggio Lombardi the shared names represented shared heritage
that complicated enemy relationships and created bridges between recent adversaries
the names carried meanings beyond simple identification
they represented family histories regional origins cultural traditions
and connections that transcended the
temporary circumstance of war when an Italian prisoner named Romano
met an American guard named Romano the surname created immediate connection
that suggested they might be distant relatives that their families
might have come from the same villages that they shared heritage
despite being on opposite sides of the war the connections built on shared names
often expanded into genuine relationships prisoners and guards
would discover they had family connections to same regions of Italy
they’d share stories about traditions foods festivals
they’d sometimes discover they actually were distant relatives
second or third cousins whose family lines had diverged
when one branch immigrated to America decades earlier for the Italian POWs
the encounters with Italian Americans challenged their understanding
of what America meant they’d expected foreign enemy
who’d be incomprehensible and hostile instead they’d found people who looked like them who spoke their language or
their grandparents’dialects who understood their culture
who bore their names the discovery
that millions of people with Italian heritage had built successful lives in America
while maintaining cultural identity suggested
possibilities that many prisoners hadn’t imagined for Giuseppe Marino
working on farms in upstate New York and encountering Italian American families
who’d emigrated from the same Sicilian villages his family still lived in
the experience was transformative they asked me to stay he
wrote to his family in 1946 as repatriation approached
they said I could work here that opportunities exist
that don’t exist in Sicily anymore they showed me how Italians
could be successful in America without forgetting where they came from
I told them I must return home first but perhaps someday I will come back
America is not the enemy I thought it was America is a place where people like us
can build good lives the story of Italian POWs in America
who couldn’t believe so many Americans had Italian last names
documented more than curious coincidence or amusing cultural connection
it documented how shared heritage could
transcend wartime enmity how cultural bridges could
exist even between enemies and how the accident of immigration patterns
had created situation where prisoners discovered that the nation
they’d been fighting against included millions of people
who shared their names their culture and their heritage
and who’d built successful lives while maintaining the traditions
that prisoners still valued the names on the dog tags and prisoner rosters
Marino and Marino Romano and Romano Russo and Russo
represented connection that survived war that complicated enemy relationships
and that ultimately contributed to building post war cooperation
between nations that had been adversaries just years before
the Italian P 0 ws who returned home carried memories
not just of decent treatment but of discovering cousins they hadn’t known
they had wearing American uniforms and speaking in dialects
their grandmothers would have recognized