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Giuseppe "Pino" Balistreri

Carrista, durante la seconda guerra, in Libia, fatto prigioniero dagli alleati fu trasladato a un campo di internati in Arizona, Chicago, Maryland e Virginia, Stati Uniti. Ritornó uniformato in blu con su identificazione italiana, bandierina e ITALY sul braccio destro, credo, e con bag barrack a spalla. Orgoglioso,  non lasció la divisa  per un tempo: si sentiva un americano! Parlava della Virginia, della Virginia e della Virginia: aveva scoperto l'America e voleva ritornare. Ma non era facile emigrare agli Stati Uniti e optó allora, data la occasione, per l'Australia. Lo vidi un'altra volta, non svuotando ma riempiendo il vecchio saccone con il quale era arrivato dalla prigionia, contando gli spiccioli che aveva rispiarmiato durante anni lavorando come saldatore ne Cantiere Navale di Palermo. E lasciava una fidanzata. Sistemato, australianizzato, ritorno nell'estate del 1960 per sposarsi con Vincenza Birriolo, assieme di nuovo verso Queanbeyan, vicino a Canberra. Ebbero tre figli,Tony, Mary e Janet. Amaramente, si divorzió negli ultimi anni della sua vita. Su anelo, ritornare a vedere la sua amata Virginia.

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Camp Florence, Arizona.

A World War II Prisoner of War Camp

True account of eleven months in an Arizona prisoner of war camp during World War II. The story of nine Army recruits from Camp Grant, Illinois, who received their basic training in a hot desert climate, then served as military police guards in a POW camp in southern Arizona.

Only a few German prisoners were housed in the Camp Florence prisoner stockade in 1943; the majority were Italians. After the Allied invasion of France in June of 1944, great hordes of German prisoners were shipped to Arizona camps where they were encouraged to pick cotton for the American war effort.

 

... but said he was treated well as a POW in America ... I have a copy of his prisoner file where he was court marshalled and fined $16 on 28/6/1944 at camp Florence,  Arizona for " wrongfully striking a Sgt Bono in the face with his fist".... love it apparently he had to collect a certain weight in cotton per day , and on this occasion he was caught filling the bag with some rocks to meet the weight..
he got caught out this one 1 time and the argument ended with the punch!! My father always defend himself to the end.

 

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Oggi, 31 agosto 2019: Father's Day in Australia
Quest'anno compirebbe 100 anni (29 novembre 1919)

Today is Father's Day.
Dad, I miss you so much and wish you were here.

Thank you for everything you did for me. You taught me so much, you made me laugh and cry, you told me things I loved to hear and things I probably didn't want to hear but you were honest with your thoughts. You taught me that the simple things in life are the best and how great life was especially when it involved good food, good company and good wine. No-one is perfect but you always respected me even if you hated me telling you what to do (only cos it was the best thing for you even though at times you were pretty stubborn). You were always so grateful for what I did for you and for that I never stopped. You were so loving and affectionate. I know you would say to me not to cry for you but I do because you were someone special to me, someone who I loved spending time with, we would have a great laugh together and a fantastic home cooked meal together cooked by you and I really miss that so much. 😥
Happy Father's Day Dad, please take care of your little Renee for us. I know you would be super protective of her and hugging her with all your might. We know that Nonno Joe knows best. 
I love you Papa, sempre commossa.

Mary Balistreri Swan

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