 In 1943, it was one of our strategic aims to draw as many German forces as possible away from the Russian front and French coastal areas and to contain them on the Italian Peninsula while liberating as much of Italy as might be possible with the means at our disposal. As the bulk of our supplies was directed to England for the forthcoming invasion, operations in Italy had to be conducted on an extremely limited scale. Thus it came about that during the winter months the number of Allied divisions in Italy was greatly reduced. Yet so determined was their effort that they succeeded in holding in Italy a very large number of German divisions during the pre-invasion period. San Pietro in the 5th Army sector was the key to the Leary Valley. We knew it and the enemy knew it. We had to take it even though the immediate cost would be high. We took it and the cost in relation to the later advance was not excessive. By its very nature this success worked bitter hardships upon each individual soldier calling for the full measure of his courage and devotion. The response of our 5th Army troops provides an inspiring page in our military history. To these individuals living and dead and to those who now continue in their tradition, this picture is dedicated. The Leary Valley lies in the Italian Midland, some 60 miles northwest of Naples to some 40 miles southeast of Rome. A wide flat corridor enclosed between four walls of mountains. In winter the highest peaks of the Leary Range ascend into the snows. But the valley floor with its olive groves and ancient vines, its crops of wheat and corn is green the year around. That is in normal times. Last year was a bad year for grapes and olives and the fall planting was late. Many fields lay fallow. There are two ways from the south into the valley, one a narrow pass, the other a high scenic road over the mountains. They converge before the site of the ancient village of San Pietro which for 700 years has stood at the threshold of Leary Valley, welcoming the traveler. The stones of its walls were quarried out of the parent hill from whose slopes it rises. Population 1412 of the last census. A farming community. Patron Saint Peter. Point of interest, Saint Peter's, 1438. Note, interesting treatment of chancell. From the end of October 1943 until the middle of December, San Pietro and the surrounding grounds the scene of some of the bitterest fighting on our 5th Army front. The Italian campaign had entered its second phase. The push forward again after a static period brought on by heavy seasonal rains. Our battle lines were haphazard as the terrain itself with its flood swollen rivers that twisted back and forth across our line of march so that each river seemed like five. And where there was no river to cross the mountain blocked our going. Each peak ahead being a few meters higher than the last we had won so that each new peak had to be fought for, the hard a pure way with the enemy looking down our throats. They had had time to fortify and camouflage their positions. No amount of artillery fire or aerial bombardment could force them to withdraw. That was for the infantry to do. Employing those weapons that can find and destroy life in narrow trenches, caves and fighting holes. It was up to the man with the rifle, the man under fire from all weapons. The man whose way all our weapons, land, air and sea serve only to prepare. It was up to the foot soldier to attack the hidden enemy over ground that was sown with mines. The anti-personnel S mines that fly up a footfall to explode beneath the groin. Nowhere along the entire front were enemy preparations more elaborate than the San Pietro area. The San Pietro stands at the threshold of Leary Valley and through Leary Valley wide and level runs the most highly prized length of roads south of Rome. By early December we had taken over holding high ground to the northeast, east and south of San Pietro. The Camino Maggiore hill mass being last to fall. An Italian brigade under a light command had made a vain attempt to capture Mount Lungo possession of which would have acted greatly to our benefit in the impending action. The Italians were all but annihilated. In a few of their excessive losses further operations against Mount Lungo's strategic heights were abandoned. And it was decided to make a direct frontal assault on enemy positions in and around San Pietro. Elements of the 36 Texas Infantry Division were rotated from position to position overlooking the valley so the troops might study the terrain ahead from various viewpoints. The patrol activity was continuous. Day and night units went out to reconnoit to the ground, draw fire, take prisoners, thus adding to the sum of our information about the enemy. High points, Mount Lungo's 351 and Mount Simucro's 1205 and 950 were all manned in force. The town itself was strongly garrisoned with numerous mortar, machine gun and heavy weapon emplacements. Four enemy battalions were dug into a line of connecting trenches and mutually supporting pillboxes in depth that extended from the base of Mount Lungo northeast across the valley floor to the base of Mount Simucro. Another battalion was organized to defend the high ground northwest of San Pietro. Before these positions were heavily mined and held a confusion of barbed wire and booby traps. On the afternoon before, D-Day and H-Hour were communicated to battalion commanders. December 8th at 0620 Hours, the first battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment to attack the summit of 1205, having moved up the mountain under cover of darkness achieving its objective to attack along the ridge to a point northwest of San Pietro. The third range of battalion likewise to attack 950, another feature of the Mount Simucro hill mass. The second battalion of the 143rd to attack over the terraced olive orchards northeast of San Pietro. The third battalion acting in support to follow the second at 400 yards. Of the original force to establish the beachhead at Salerno, the 143rd had since spent all but a fortnight in action under extremely bitter weather conditions. At Salerno, at the Valterno crossing, it had taken mortal punishment. The task ahead promised no less bloodshed, yet it was undertaken in good spirits and high confidence. The first battalion began the long rugged climb up Mount Simucro. As night fell, artillery opened up, and throughout the night hours intense fire was laid down on the enemy's main line of resistance. It had rained most of the night, and it was raining at each hour when the second and third battalions crossed the mine and departured. Some 200 yards forward, they encountered mines and automatic fire from pillboxes. Mortar and artillery were deadly accurate by reason of excellent enemy observation from Mount Lunga overlooking our advance, which continued another 200 to 400 yards. Many men gave their lives in attempts to reach pillboxes and throw hand grenades through the narrow gun openings. The third battalion was committed, but the advance never got more than 600 yards past the line of departure. Our initial assault on San Pietro had been repulsed with heavy casualties. The attack on Hill 1205, however, was a brilliant success. Leading elements of the first battalion had gained the summit of the objective before a strongly entrenched enemy knew that an assault was in progress. To the right of 1205, the third range of battalion had also captured its objective, but only after successive attacks and costly casualties. For on 9-5-0, the enemy was not taken unaware. Counterattacks would have been expected on both 1205 and 9-5-0. They were not long developing. The first was launched during the early daylight hours and even as it was beaten off, another took form. Day and night, they followed in unremitting violence. The toll of enemy dead mounted with each new attempt. But German prisoners captured on 1205 and 9-5-0 said they had been ordered to retake those positions at all costs. In addition to defending Hill 1205, the first battalion, obedient to the field order, undertook the reduction of enemy defenses which were organized along the ridge running west. Off of December, the first battalion was reinforced by the 504th Parachute Battalion, which took over and maintained the defenses of 1205 and 9-5-0. Thereby enabling the first battalion to throw its entire remaining strength into the assault along the ridge. But the first strength had dwindled and shrunk in the five days past and there was now a question as to whether its existing numbers were sufficient to prevail. Reports during the night of the 14th of December stated that the enemy was offering bitter resistance and that the issue was in grave doubt. Meanwhile, on the olive terraces below, the second and third battalions had twice again attempted to reach their objective. Both times they had come up against a wall of automatic weapon, mortar and artillery fire. Volunteer patrols made desperate attempts to reach enemy positions and reduce strong points. Not a single member of any such patrol ever came back alive. Attacking forces were furnished excellent aerial cover by allied fighter patrols. But now and then enemy planes were able to slip through and abound and strafe our positions, which to all purposes had remained unchanged since the first day. To break the deadlock, orders were given for a coordinated divisional attack. The second and third battalions of the 143rd to proceed in the execution of the original orders. Acting in conjunction, Company A of the 753rd Tank Battalion to attack San Pietro from the east over the high road. One battalion of the 141st to attack over the flat valley floor. After nightfall on D-Day, the 142nd Infantry Regiment to attack Mount Lungo. The earlier decision not to attack those strategic heights having been reversed in view of the present critical situation. In preparation for the attack, all 5th Army artillery within range, including tanks and all tracks, was directed against San Pietro and the surrounding area. H-Hour, 1200 hours. D-Day, the 15th of December. The 141st Infantry advanced some 400 yards from its line of departure. To be borne down and held powerless under the weight of enemy fire. The second and third battalions of the 143rd advanced some 100 yards beyond their former positions to appoint almost directly before forward enemy defences. And for the third time they were forced to take such cover as the quaking earth could offer. And the tanks. Orders were for them to enter the town to locate and destroy the heavy weapons layer which were leveled against our attacking foot soldiers. The high road in the San Pietro is a narrow mountain road and from the beginning of its winding descent in Illyri Valley it was under direct enemy observation. 16 tanks started down that road. Three reached the outskirts of the town. Of these two were destroyed and one was missing. Five tanks were immobilized behind enemy lines, their crews having to abandon them. Five tanks hit enemy mines within our lines and were thereupon destroyed by enemy gunfire. Four tanks returned to the Vivoac area. After dark two companies, one from the second battalion and one from the third finally succeeded in penetrating enemy positions before San Pietro. But receiving both frugal and flanking fire they were forced to retire. Company E having been reduced in strength to a handful of riflemen and Company L faring little better. On the Mount Simochro ridge the first battalion fought its way to within a few hundred yards of the objective but it had paid for ground gain at the rate of a man a yard and it did not have strength to carry the fight any further forward. On Mount Lungo however, despite bitter resistance, battalions of the 142nd in successive waves kept pushing upwards. Until in the early daylight hours of the 16th of December its foot soldiers had gained a summit and were wiping up what remained of a stubborn enemy. And that height proved to be a key position in the enemy plan of defense for even as Mount Lungo fell the enemy throughout the San Pietro area made preparations to withdraw. Almost invariably the enemy will counter attack to cover a withdrawal. The first violent thrust was delivered within a few hours. And thereafter counter attacks came in waves. The roar of the last mingling with the rush and fury of the next to break. Many companies lost all their officers. Unlisted men came forward as inspirational leaders to rally their battered companies and resisted yet one more onslaught. Our own artillery was brought to fall within a hundred yards of our front line elements. After five hours during which the earth never ceased to tremble counter attacks ended, indicating the withdrawal of the enemy's main body had commenced. In an effort to maintain contact with the enemy our patrols immediately pushed ahead entering the town they discovered that San Pietro was ours for the taking. The second and third battalions less than a rifle company in strength weary to death who were alive stumbled forward past San Pietro to consolidate gains and re-establish contact with the enemy now taking up new positions some five kilometers beyond. That is the broad shape of the battle of San Pietro which was the first of many battles in the early valley. It was a very costly battle. After the battle the 143rd Infantry Regiment alone required 1,100 replacements. The lives lost were precious lives to their country, to their loved ones and to the men themselves. For the living of the 143rd Infantry Regiment more than 100 decorations for acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty. Many among these you see alive here have since joined the ranks of their brothers in arms who fell at San Pietro. For ahead lay San Vittore and the Rapido River and Casino and beyond Casino more rivers and more mountains and more towns more San Pietros greater or lesser a thousand more. As the battle passed over and beyond San Pietro westward towns people began to appear coming out of their caves in the mountains where they had stayed in hiding during the enemy occupation. They were mostly old people and children against enemy mines and booby traps which were in the process of being cleared children are able to forget quickly. Yesterday they wept. Today their smiles and even laughter. Tomorrow it will be as though the bad things had never happened. Living was resumed in San Pietro. Prime military aim being to engage and defeat the enemy. The capture of the town itself and the liberation of its people is of an incidental nature. But the people in their military innocence look upon us solely as their deliverers. It was to free them and their farmlands that we came. Behind our lines southwest to the sea the fields are green with growing crops planted after our coming by other people of other towns who believed likewise. The new one earth at San Pietro was plowed and sown. It should yield a good harvest this year and the people prayed to their patron saint to intercede with God on behalf of those who came delivered them and passed on to the north with the passing battle. Thank you.