The Accidental Veteran: Remembering Alfredo “Anzio” Rinaldi
The MOC
By
Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
November 11, 2024
This week, I have proudly sported a poppy on the lapel of my jacket in a gesture of remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. The 11th of November has a special significance for me as both of my grandfathers fought in the First World War and my father fought in the Second World War. The first war ended in a negotiated armistice between Imperial Germany and the Allies that took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Millions died on the continent of Europe in what became known as the “Great War.” For years afterward, Remembrance Day ceremonies took place all over the world on 11 November to commemorate the sacrifice of those who died.
Twenty-one years later, a humiliated Germany rose again and attacked its neighbors in Poland and France, plunging Europe once again into world war. America again entered the fray after the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, joining a two-front war against Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. Again, millions of casualties occurred in the European or the Pacific Theaters of operations. After both adversaries were defeated, America once again mourned her war dead. In 1954, Congress submitted a law to President Eisenhower to rename Remembrance Day to Veterans Day in honor of all veterans.
This Veterans Day, I want to tell you the story of an “Accidental Veteran” of the Second World War, my Italian friend Alfredo Rinaldi. I first met Alfredo at the Nettuno American Battle Monuments Cemetery outside Rome when I was Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet in 2015. Alfredo attended the ceremony in a suave-looking jacket and tie wearing a ballcap that said, “WWII Veteran.” He spoke perfect English and told me the remarkable story of his life with American forces in Italy during the war.
Alfredo and his family were from Anzio, a beautiful beachfront resort that the Germans occupied during the war. If you lived within two miles of the beach, as Alfredo did, your family was evicted in order to secure defenses against a potential allied amphibious landing. To further bolster their defenses, the Germans brought in a big gun on a rail car known to the Allies as “Anzio Annie.” This was a massive 280mm K5E cannon on a rail car that could be hidden in a railway tunnel and selectively appear and harass the Allies at sea or in port. The range of the gun was over 40 miles!
Alfredo’s family moved to Rome and tried to make do. He was sixteen years old. Working the streets for any lire he could muster to support his family, Alfredo became restless and frustrated. One day he decided to return to Anzio alone and on foot to see his family home again. The trek was 38 miles and he walked day and night, through the German lines, until he made it to Aprila, near Anzio. There he met his first American soldier with a jeep, a cool looking Tommy gun, and a big fat cigar. The soldier asked him in Italian where he came from and where he was going. When Alfredo told the soldier he had walked from Rome to Anzio to see his house, the soldier was in disbelief that Alfredo had walked through German lines. The soldier took him to an American command post where he was interrogated and then to his house, which had been ransacked. The U.S. 5th Army’s 85th Quartermaster Depot adopted Alfredo as their mascot and called him “Anzio” in honor of his fervent desire to return home. Captain Kirby, Lieutenant Brooks, and Sergeant Frank became Alfredo’s “Guardian Angels.” They put Alfredo in uniform and like every other G.I., he received American chewing gum, K-rations, and cigarettes! Alfredo was never hungry again. He worked in the mess and in the motor pool where he learned how to drive big American GMC vehicles. He learned the American way: by doing…and with a little tough love. One day when he put the GMC in reverse by mistake almost causing an accident; Sergeant Frank smacked him upside the head. Alfredo never did that again. He loved those guys.
As the U.S. Army moved north to pursue a retreating enemy, the Guardian Angels told Alfredo that they couldn’t take him with them. He was heartbroken. Instead, the G.I.s dropped Alfredo off at this old home in Anzio and departed. With his English language skills and the self-discipline acquired by his association with the Americans, Alfredo landed a job with the American Graves Registration Service in Nettuno. Alfredo’s work was gruesome as he travelled around the Anzio region looking for fallen Americans. He scoured the landscape and farmlands to inquire as to the whereabouts of temporary graves that contained Americans. Alfredo continued this work until 1949 when he eventually moved to Rome, got married, and drove a public bus in the city for the rest of his career. All in all, 8,000 Americans are interred at Nettuno, many of whom were found where they had fallen and returned in a dignified manner to be interred at the American Battle Monuments Cemetery alongside their comrades.
Alfredo never forgot his American friends. Each Memorial Day, he returned to Nettuno to pay his respects. There he met American Presidents Bush (41), Clinton, and Bush (43). He later visited the White House and attended a reunion in the United States with his beloved 85th Quartermasters. When I met him for the first time as Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (C6F) at Nettuno in 2015, we hit it off. I asked him to accompany me as our guide for a C6F Staff Ride to Anzio in order to educate our Sailors, Marines, and civilians on the importance of “amphibiousity” and the sacrifice made by young Americans in WWII. He was delighted to do so and the staff gave Alfredo rave reviews. I returned to the United States to become the Director, Navy Staff. One day, Alex Palomo, my Protocol Officer from C6F called me to tell me that Alfredo was in the hospital in Rome and that he wanted to speak to me. It was a bittersweet call. Alfredo was suffering from renal failure and it was serious. You wouldn’t know though, because he was as upbeat as ever. “When are you coming back to Italy, Admiral?” he asked.
“Soon Alfredo,” I said, “I’ve been nominated to be the next Commander of Joint Forces Command, Naples, so hang in there my friend. When I arrive, we’ll do another staff ride together!”
“Va bene Admiral, Va bene…,” said Alfredo. Sadly, it was the last time I spoke to him. He passed a couple of weeks later. So today, we remember the “Accidental Veteran,” my friend, Alfredo Rinaldi, and all that he did to honor Americans who paid the ultimate price in the liberation of Italy.
Alfredo, ti saluto amico mio. Grazie per il tuo servizio e sappi che ti ricordiamo in questo Veterans Day in America. Riposa in pace e che Dio ti benedica. Con grande rispetto. Jamie
Admiral James Foggo is the Dean at The Center for Maritime Strategy.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.
Center for Maritime Strategy
By Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
This week, I have proudly sported a poppy on the lapel of my jacket in a gesture of remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. The 11th of November has a special significance for me as both of my grandfathers fought in the First World War and my father fought in the Second World War. The first war ended in a negotiated armistice between Imperial Germany and the Allies that took effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Millions died on the continent of Europe in what became known as the “Great War.” For years afterward, Remembrance Day ceremonies took place all over the world on 11 November to commemorate the sacrifice of those who died.
Twenty-one years later, a humiliated Germany rose again and attacked its neighbors in Poland and France, plunging Europe once again into world war. America again entered the fray after the attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, joining a two-front war against Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. Again, millions of casualties occurred in the European or the Pacific Theaters of operations. After both adversaries were defeated, America once again mourned her war dead. In 1954, Congress submitted a law to President Eisenhower to rename Remembrance Day to Veterans Day in honor of all veterans.
This Veterans Day, I want to tell you the story of an “Accidental Veteran” of the Second World War, my Italian friend Alfredo Rinaldi. I first met Alfredo at the Nettuno American Battle Monuments Cemetery outside Rome when I was Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet in 2015. Alfredo attended the ceremony in a suave-looking jacket and tie wearing a ballcap that said, “WWII Veteran.” He spoke perfect English and told me the remarkable story of his life with American forces in Italy during the war.
Alfredo and his family were from Anzio, a beautiful beachfront resort that the Germans occupied during the war. If you lived within two miles of the beach, as Alfredo did, your family was evicted in order to secure defenses against a potential allied amphibious landing. To further bolster their defenses, the Germans brought in a big gun on a rail car known to the Allies as “Anzio Annie.” This was a massive 280mm K5E cannon on a rail car that could be hidden in a railway tunnel and selectively appear and harass the Allies at sea or in port. The range of the gun was over 40 miles!
Alfredo’s family moved to Rome and tried to make do. He was sixteen years old. Working the streets for any lire he could muster to support his family, Alfredo became restless and frustrated. One day he decided to return to Anzio alone and on foot to see his family home again. The trek was 38 miles and he walked day and night, through the German lines, until he made it to Aprila, near Anzio. There he met his first American soldier with a jeep, a cool looking Tommy gun, and a big fat cigar. The soldier asked him in Italian where he came from and where he was going. When Alfredo told the soldier he had walked from Rome to Anzio to see his house, the soldier was in disbelief that Alfredo had walked through German lines. The soldier took him to an American command post where he was interrogated and then to his house, which had been ransacked. The U.S. 5th Army’s 85th Quartermaster Depot adopted Alfredo as their mascot and called him “Anzio” in honor of his fervent desire to return home. Captain Kirby, Lieutenant Brooks, and Sergeant Frank became Alfredo’s “Guardian Angels.” They put Alfredo in uniform and like every other G.I., he received American chewing gum, K-rations, and cigarettes! Alfredo was never hungry again. He worked in the mess and in the motor pool where he learned how to drive big American GMC vehicles. He learned the American way: by doing…and with a little tough love. One day when he put the GMC in reverse by mistake almost causing an accident; Sergeant Frank smacked him upside the head. Alfredo never did that again. He loved those guys.
As the U.S. Army moved north to pursue a retreating enemy, the Guardian Angels told Alfredo that they couldn’t take him with them. He was heartbroken. Instead, the G.I.s dropped Alfredo off at this old home in Anzio and departed. With his English language skills and the self-discipline acquired by his association with the Americans, Alfredo landed a job with the American Graves Registration Service in Nettuno. Alfredo’s work was gruesome as he travelled around the Anzio region looking for fallen Americans. He scoured the landscape and farmlands to inquire as to the whereabouts of temporary graves that contained Americans. Alfredo continued this work until 1949 when he eventually moved to Rome, got married, and drove a public bus in the city for the rest of his career. All in all, 8,000 Americans are interred at Nettuno, many of whom were found where they had fallen and returned in a dignified manner to be interred at the American Battle Monuments Cemetery alongside their comrades.
Alfredo never forgot his American friends. Each Memorial Day, he returned to Nettuno to pay his respects. There he met American Presidents Bush (41), Clinton, and Bush (43). He later visited the White House and attended a reunion in the United States with his beloved 85th Quartermasters. When I met him for the first time as Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (C6F) at Nettuno in 2015, we hit it off. I asked him to accompany me as our guide for a C6F Staff Ride to Anzio in order to educate our Sailors, Marines, and civilians on the importance of “amphibiousity” and the sacrifice made by young Americans in WWII. He was delighted to do so and the staff gave Alfredo rave reviews. I returned to the United States to become the Director, Navy Staff. One day, Alex Palomo, my Protocol Officer from C6F called me to tell me that Alfredo was in the hospital in Rome and that he wanted to speak to me. It was a bittersweet call. Alfredo was suffering from renal failure and it was serious. You wouldn’t know though, because he was as upbeat as ever. “When are you coming back to Italy, Admiral?” he asked.
“Soon Alfredo,” I said, “I’ve been nominated to be the next Commander of Joint Forces Command, Naples, so hang in there my friend. When I arrive, we’ll do another staff ride together!”
“Va bene Admiral, Va bene…,” said Alfredo. Sadly, it was the last time I spoke to him. He passed a couple of weeks later. So today, we remember the “Accidental Veteran,” my friend, Alfredo Rinaldi, and all that he did to honor Americans who paid the ultimate price in the liberation of Italy.
Alfredo, ti saluto amico mio. Grazie per il tuo servizio e sappi che ti ricordiamo in questo Veterans Day in America. Riposa in pace e che Dio ti benedica. Con grande rispetto. Jamie
Admiral James Foggo is the Dean at The Center for Maritime Strategy.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.