Artilleryman

About the Book

My story covers almost three years of my life when I was an artilleryman in the European Theater. The news of the day was so important and ghastly, so far-reaching and complex, so uncommon and courageous, that there can never be enough history books written to describe and explain the events of WWII. This is a personal history, however, and I was a young soldier, one who wrote letters and kept journals and planned to write about it. But then, after the war, it became too difficult, and I rarely even spoke of it. Half a century later, as a father, husband, and grandfather, I finally retired from running my own business, and realized now I had the time and must use it. With books, maps, and random notes scattered around me, I proved to be a most disorganized writer. One evening, in the midst of the media coverage of the 50th Anniversary of World War II, my daughter, Norma, called me. She was crying. She had just watched a television documentary about the war and it included footage of my Division, the 90th Infantry, Patton’s Third Army.

About the Author

John has always been a spiritual man, and it was his dependence on God that got him through the horrific years of World War II. His fellow soldiers were aware of John’s strong faith and, thus, nicknamed him “Father John”. After the War, John returned to his hometown of New Britain, Connecticut where he spent the next 25 years. During that time, he met and married his love, Victoria Dagata and together they raised their children. In 1970, he moved his family to Florida where John, following his entrepreneurial spirit, opened ‘The Shoestring’, a store specializing in fitting children with orthopedic shoes. It was fulfilling to help so many children as he worked with top orthopedic physicians. Now retired in Casselberry, Florida, John and Vicki enjoy nothing more than spending time with their three daughters and son, ten grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. One of John’s favorite pastimes includes friendly debate, conversation and laughter shared with family and friends gathered around the dinner table. He never refuses when one of the children or grandchildren asks John to tell another war story. A dream was fulfilled when John completed his memoirs. He has a passionate desire to leave his life story as a legacy for his family.