Reflections of a Dogface

About the Book

Gennaro A. Fischetti's poignant memoir begins with his childhood in Brooklyn, surrounded by a devoted and energetic family and plenty of colorful neighborhood characters. Following this introductory piece is a collection of vignettes depicting life as a "Dogface" in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II. The author chose to describe the lighter side of war, remarkably managing to capture his own innocent 18 year old spirit some 60 years after the fact. Anyone familiar with boys of this age will appreciate the universality of Mr. Fischetti's vision. The writing is full of his and his buddies' insatiable appetites, their delight in bucking the establishment and their curiosity about the cultures they are encountering in the Far East. The stories are original and the author's personality shines through at every step of the way. You will find yourself laughing out loud about Fischetti's size 13 clodhoppers, "monkey cacciatore", panning for gold nuggets and their brisk trade in "genuine" Japanese souvenirs. On a more profound note, several of the vignettes deal with the author's participation in The Battle of ZigZag Pass and the Court Martial of an Officer. This "quick read" offers one man's description of a very different view of World War II.

About the Author

Gennaro Fischetti was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. 1925. After the war, Mr. Fischetti attended St. John's University, earning both Undergraduate and Law School degrees. Then he served as a Trial Attorney, Judge of the N.Y. State Workers' Compensation Board 20 years, and 16 years at the N.Y. State Crime Victims' Board, as both Commissioner and Chairman. Upon retiring, Mr. Fischetti became an ADA Pro Bono at Kings County District Attorney Office and computer literate and began the process of recalling and recording these uniquely personal wartime incidents. Mr. Fischetti has been happily married for over 50 years. He has 3 married daughters and 5 grandchildren.