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 Liri 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.
Liri Valley lies in the Italian midland.
Some 60 miles northwest of Naples.
Some 40 miles southeast of Rome.
A wide, flat corridor enclosed between four walls of mountains.
In winter, the highest peaks of the Liri range ascend into the snow.
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 Liri Valley.
Welcoming the traveler
The stones of its walls were quarried from the parent hill from where it rises.
The population was: 1,412 at the last census.
Affirming community.
Patron Saint: Peter.
Point of interest: Saint Peters. 1438.
Note: interesting treatment of chancel.
From the end of October 1943.
Until the middle of December, San Pietro and the surrounding ground ..
Was the scene of some of the most bitter fighting on our 5th Army front.
The Italian campaign had entered its second phase.
To push forward again, after a static period.
Brought on by heavy seasonal rains.
Our battle lines were as 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, a mountain blocked our goal.
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, uphill 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-soldiers to attack a hidden enemy.
Over ground that was sown with mines.
The antipersonnel 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.
For San Pietro stands at the threshold of Liri Valley.
And through Liri Valley, wide and level.
Runs the most highly prized length of road south of Rome.
By December, we had the high ground to the north, east, and south of San Pietro.
The Camino Maggiore hill mast being the last to fall.
An Italian brigade under a line command had made an attempt to capture Mt Lungo.
The possession of which would be greatly to our benefit in the impending action.
The Italians were all but annihilated.
In view of their excessive losses.
Further operations against Mt 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 36th Texas Infantry Division.
Were rotated from position to position, overlooking the valley.
So the troops might study the terrain ahead from various viewpoints.
Patrol activity was continuous.
Day and night, units went out to reconnoiter the ground, draw fire.
Take prisoners.
Thus adding to the sum of our information about the enemy.
High points. Mount Lungo was 351.
Mount Sammucro was 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 pill-boxes in depth?
That extended from the base of Mount Lungo.
North-east across the valley floor o the base of Mount Sammucro.
Another battalion was organized to defend the high ground northwest of San Pietro.
Areas 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 commands.
December 8th .. at 06.20 hours.
The 1st Battalion of the 143rd Infantry Regiment.
To attack the summit of 1205.
As they moved up the mountain under cover of darkness.
And upon achieving its objective, to attack along the ridge ..
To a point northwest of San Pietro.
The 3rd Ranger Battalion likewise to attack 950.
Another feature of the Mount Sammucro hill mass.
The 2nd Battalion of the 143rd to attack over the orchards north of San Pietro.
The 3rd Battalion, acting in support, to follow the 2nd at 400 yards.
Of the original force to establish the beachhead at Salerno.
The 143rd had since been all but a fortnight in action.
Under extremely bitter weather conditions.
At Salerno, at the Volturno Crossing.
It had taken mortal punishment.
The task ahead promised no less bloodshed.
And it was undertaken in good spirits and high confidence.
The 1st Battalion began the long, rugged climb up Mount Sammucro.
As night fell, our artillery opened up.
And through the night, intense fire was laid down on the enemy's main resistance.
It had rained most of the night.
And it was raining at H-hour as the battalions crossed the line of departure.
Some 200 yards forward, they encountered ..
Mines and automatic fire from pill-boxes.
The artillery was deadly accurate.
By reason of excellent enemy observation from Mount Lungo overlooking our advance.
Which continued another 200 to 400 yards.
Many men gave their lives in attempts to reach pill-boxes ..
To throw hand grenades through the narrow gun openings.
The 3rd 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 1st 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 3rd Ranger Battalion had captured its objective.
But only after successive attacks and costly casualties.
For on 950 the enemy was not taken unaware.
Counter attacks were to be expected. On both 1205 and 950.
They were not long developing.
The fist was launched during the early daylight hours.
And even as it was beaten off, another took form.
Day and night, they followed.
Unremitting violence.
The toll of enemy dead mounted with each new attempt.
The German prisoners captured on 1205 and 950.
Said they had been ordered to retake those positions at all costs.
In addition to defending hill 1205, the 1st Battalion ..
Obedient to the field order, undertook the reduction of enemy defenses.
Which were organized along the ridge running west.
On the 12th of December ..
The 1st Battalion was reinforced with the 504th Parachute Battalion.
Which took over and maintained the defenses of 1205 and 950.
Thereby enabling the 1st Battalion ..
To throw its entire remaining strength into the assault along the ridge.
But the first string had dwindled and shrunk in the five days passed.
There was now a question if its existing numbers were sufficient to prevail.
Reports during the night of the 14th December.
Stated that the enemy was offering bitter resistance.
And that the issue was in grave doubt.
Meanwhile, on the olive terraces below.
The 2nd and 3rd Battalions had twice again attempted to reach their objective.
Both times they came up against a wall of automatic weapons and artillery fire.
Volunteer patrols made attempts to reach enemy positions in the new strong points.
Not a single member of any such patrol ever came back alive.
Our attacking forces were furnished good aerial cover by allied fighter patrol.
But now and then, enemy planes slipped through to bomb and strafe our positions.
Which, to all purposes had remained unchanged .. since the first day.
To break the deadlock, orders were given for a co�rdinated divisional attack.
2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 143rd to proceed in the execution of the orders.
Acting in conjunction, Company A of the 753rd Tank Battalion ..
To attack San Pietro from the east over the high road.
1 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. 12 hundred hours.
D-day the 15th of December.
The 141st Infantry advance some 400 yards from its line of departure.
To be worn down and held powerless under the weight of enemy fire.
The 2nd and 3rd Battalion of the 143rd ..
Advanced some 100 yards beyond their former positions.
To a point almost directly before forward enemy defenses.
And again they were forced to take such cover as the quaking earth could offer.
And the tanks.
Orders were for them to enter the town, locate and destroy heavy weapons there.
Which were leveled against our attacking foot-soldiers.
The high road in to San Pietro is a narrow mountain road.
And from the beginning of its winding decent into Liri Valley ..
It was under direct enemy observation.
Sixteen 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 bivouac area.
After dark, two companies.
One from the 2nd Battalion and one from the 3rd.
Finally succeeded in penetrating enemy positions before San Pietro.
But receiving both frontal and flanking fire, they were forced to retire.
Company E having been reduced in strength to a handful of riflemen.
And Company L fairing little better.
On the mount Sammucro ridge ..
The 1st Battalion fought its way within a hundred yards of the objective.
But it had paid for ground gained at the rate of a man a yard.
It did not have the 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 December.
Its foot-soldiers had gained the 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 defines.
For even as Mount Lungo fell.
The enemy, throughout the San Pietro area, made preparations to withdraw.
Almost invariably the enemy would 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 blasts mingling with the rush and fury of the next to break.
Many companies lost all their officers.
Enlisted men came forward as inspirational leaders.
To rally their battered companies into resisting yet one more onslaught.
Our artillery was brought to fall within 100 yards of our front-line elements.
After five hours, during which the earth never ceased to tremble.
The counter-attacks ended.
Indicating the withdrawal of the enemy's main body had commenced.
Trying to keep contact with the enemy, our patrols immediately pushed ahead.
Entering the town they discovered that San Pietro was ours for the taking.
The 2nd and 3rd Battalions.
Less than a rifle company in strength.
Wearied to death, but 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 to be the first of many battles in Liri 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 Cassino.
And beyond Cassino, more rivers and more mountains.
And more towns, more San Pietros.
Greater or lesser .. a thousand more.
As the battle passed over beyond San Pietro, westward.
Townspeople began to appear, coming out of their caves in the mountains.
For they had stayed in hiding during the enemy occupation.
They were mostly old people. And children.
The townspeople were warned against enemy mines and booby traps.
Which were in the process of being cleared.
Children are able to forget quickly.
Yesterday they wept.
Today there are smiles and even laughter.
Tomorrow, it will be as though the bad things had never happened.
Living was resumed in San Pietro.
Our prime military aim being to engage and to beat 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 live likewise.
The new-won earth at San Pietro was plowed and sown.
To yield a good harvest this year.
And the people pray that their patron saint ..
To intercede with God on behalf of those who came to liberate them.
And passed on to the north, with the passing battle.
T-G