The 34th Infantry Division "Red Bull" in the Italian Campaign

The Story of Ricardo de Lama: Enlistment and Deployment

Ricardo de Lama y Martin, service number ASN 32996907, was enlisted on August 10, 1943, at Camp Upton, NY. The son of a Spanish couple who had left Segovia to settle in Cuba at the beginning of the century, he joined his brother in New York City at seventeen, starting a career as an airplane pilot in acrobatic and stunt shows. When called to service, the Army offered him the position of glider pilot, but he declined and was assigned to basic training at Camp Fannin as part of Company A, 5th Training Battalion. Camp Fannin, located in Tyler, TX, was an Infantry Replacement Training Center (IRTC) that could accommodate up to about 20,000 soldiers at a time. After four months of infantry training at the IRTC and an additional three months of training in the United States, presumably with an infantry unit, de Lama was sent overseas on March 18, 1944, as a replacement, with North Africa as his destination.

The timeframe between enlistment and overseas assignment as a replacement was typical. Faced with a severe shortage of replacements for overseas units (especially infantry), in February 1944, the War Department decided to pull soldiers with a minimum of six months of training from units in the United States to send them overseas. This led to an average of 48,000 replacements being sent overseas each month; and since Ricardo de Lama was over eighteen and not a father before Pearl Harbor, he was among the first to depart once this new replacement policy was implemented. A few months later, the minimum requirement of six months of service was also dropped, and replacements were sent overseas directly after four months of RTC training. This system of integrating infantry personnel meant that soldiers often found themselves assigned to units in the midst of combat operations without having the chance to familiarize themselves with their comrades and the frontline conditions. In practice, this resulted in a very high casualty rate among replacements. Conversely, this system of keeping units in action indefinitely through a flow of replacements meant that soldiers experienced combat in a hellish manner, fighting on many fronts until they were wounded, killed, or otherwise rendered unfit physically and mentally. In some cases, veteran overseas units tried to correct this dire situation by grouping replacements at the divisional or regimental level to provide them with additional training and to familiarize them with combat situations; but this was not always possible. The US 34th Infantry Division was one of those that were in a state of perpetual combat at the front. It was to this Division that Private De Lama was finally assigned, becoming part of Company G of the 133rd Infantry Regiment. He arrived in Italy on June 1, 1944, after a couple of months in North Africa, where he likely received further combat training while waiting at a Replacement Depot ("reeple deeple") for his frontline assignment.

The Rifle Companies of the 133rd Infantry Regiment

In the organization of the United States Army during that period, Company G was one of the three rifle companies of the second battalion of an infantry regiment. Each infantry regiment was organized into three rifle battalions and support units; each rifle battalion, in turn, included a Headquarters Company, three rifle companies, and a heavy weapons company armed with .30 caliber M1917A1 water-cooled machine guns and 81 mm mortars. Other support weapons, such as .50 caliber M2HB machine guns and 2.36-inch rocket launchers ("bazookas"), were also available. The three rifle companies in the first battalion of a regiment were coded as A, B, and C, with the heavy weapons company designated as D. The second battalion was similarly organized with companies E, F, G, and H, and the third with companies I, K, L, and M. In the US Army radio alphabet of the time, these letters translated to Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox, George, How, Item, King, Love, and Mike. The rifle companies (with a strength of about 190 men) included the company headquarters group, three rifle platoons, and a weapons platoon with two .30 caliber M1919A4 air-cooled machine guns and three 60 mm M2 mortars. The rifle squad, of which there were three per rifle platoon, was the basic combat unit of the infantry organizations: twelve infantrymen, usually armed with .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifles and a .30 caliber Browning Automatic Rifle. In combat, veteran units could and did modify this prescribed organization, adding various types of weapons and, when available, surplus personnel.

The 34th Infantry Division, originally a federalized National Guard division from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, was the only United States infantry division to serve in the North African and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation throughout the entire war. The only other U.S. division with a similar combat record was the 1st Armored Division. The 34th, which moved to Northern Ireland in January 1942, was also the first U.S. Army division sent overseas after Pearl Harbor (excluding units already stationed in the Pacific). Along with the 1st Armored Division, the 34th provided most of the volunteers for the first Ranger battalions formed by the U.S. Army in World War II. Later, it fought in North Africa and mainland Italy, where the Division ended the war near the Alps in May 1945.

The Italian Campaign of the 34th Infantry Division, US Army

The 34th Infantry Division, originally a federalized National Guard division from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, was the only United States infantry division to serve in the North African and Mediterranean Theaters of Operation throughout the entire war. The only other U.S. division with a similar combat record was the 1st Armored Division. The 34th, which moved to Northern Ireland in January 1942, was also the first U.S. Army division sent overseas after Pearl Harbor (excluding units already stationed in the Pacific). Along with the 1st Armored Division, the 34th provided most of the volunteers for the first Ranger battalions formed by the U.S. Army in World War II. Later, it fought in North Africa and mainland Italy, where the Division ended the war near the Alps in May 1945.

Private De Lama, as a combat infantryman, assumed the most dangerous role in the United States Army during the war. Overall, the 34th Infantry Division suffered 4,300 battle deaths (soldiers killed in action or died from wounds sustained in action) and 11,545 wounded in battle. Of these battle deaths, 3,825 (with a proportional share of about 10,000 wounded) occurred within its three infantry regiments, which at full strength (a rare occurrence in Italy) comprised about 9,600 soldiers. This means that, excluding accidents, illnesses, and diseases (which, on average, in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations accounted for more than 300% of battle losses), the battle losses alone statistically represented a complete turnover of personnel and a half in the division’s infantry regiments during its combat cycle. Considering the average daily personnel in the division's combat component, the casualty rate of the 34th Division was assessed as the highest of any division in the war against Germany.

Company G of the 133rd Infantry Regiment suffered 63 battle deaths. This relatively low number of deaths compared to other rifle companies in the 34th Division should not be misleading. It simply reflects the fact that the 2nd Battalion of the 133rd Infantry Regiment had only seen action in Italy since mid-April 1944, as the unit had previously been detached from the parent regiment to serve as a guard at the Allied Forces Headquarters in Britain and North Africa. The rest of the 133rd had fought in Tunisia from February to May 1943 and in Italy since September 1943, participating in some of the bloodiest battles of the entire war. In fact, at the time of Ricardo De Lama’s assignment, Company G had already suffered 15 deaths in action in the few days it had fought in Italy.

From the Liberation of Rome to the Arno River: June-August 1944

At the beginning of June 1944, the 133rd Infantry Regiment was engaged south of Rome, participating in the Allied offensive that had broken the stalemate along the Gustav Line at Cassino and at the Anzio beachhead, where the 34th Division had landed in March 1944.

From the beginning of the Italian Campaign with the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, operations reflected the disagreement between American and British commands over the overall strategy in the Mediterranean. While the British favored a peripheral approach through the Balkans and the Mediterranean, the Americans pushed for a direct assault on Western Europe as the most efficient way to defeat Germany. Since it had proven logistically impossible to launch a massive attack in 1942 and 1943, the United States had consented to invade North Africa, then Sicily, and Italy. However, with the liberation of Rome on June 4, the invasion of Normandy two days later, and the decision to shift the main effort to southern France in the summer of 1944, Italy was destined to become a secondary front, intended to divert German resources away from the primary battlefield of northwestern Europe. Such strategic considerations, of course, did not change the harsh reality of frontline combat in Italy for Private De Lama and his new comrades-in-arms, who in the early hours of June 3, 1944, were about to attack the town of Lanuvio as part of the breakout from the Anzio beachhead.

Private De Lama's introduction to frontline duty was not easy. The objective was achieved, but the advance was slow, and the 2nd Battalion suffered 12 deaths in action, although none in Company G. The regiment was then transferred to Civitavecchia, the main port city in the Rome area, which fell into the hands of the 133rd Regiment on June 8, 1944, with little to no opposition. From June 9 to June 25, 1944, the 133rd Regiment rested near Tarquinia, giving Private De Lama his first reprieve in his new life as a combat infantryman. The men could attend movie screenings, and soldiers were rotated to the 5th Army Rest Center in Rome. Additionally, 12-hour passes to Rome were issued, and Ricardo might have had a photograph taken on such an occasion. When the 34th Division returned to the line along the Tyrrhenian coast at the end of June, the Allied advance had reached Tuscany, with the immediate objective of reaching the Arno River line and the major port facilities at Livorno. On June 26, 1944, the 133rd Regiment returned to combat, attacking near Piombino, a coastal port city about 40 miles south of Livorno.

The Germans, who were retreating along pre-arranged lines of resistance, offered light resistance. The advance of the 34th Division was mainly hindered by mines and explosive traps, as well as the rugged Tuscan terrain. As was customary during the long advance up the Italian boot, it was once again a matter of capturing hill after hill, and the movement resulted in long marches on foot for the already exhausted soldiers. The advance was significantly aided by Italian partisans, who guided the American troops and helped capture German prisoners. About a hundred partisans joined the 2nd Battalion in this capacity, a new experience for the riflemen, as organized partisan activity was uncommon south of Tuscany.

It was during the attack on the hill town of Campiglia, led by Company G on June 26, 1944, that Private Ricardo de Lama faced his first real combat test and sustained his first wound in action. That day, eight of his comrades from Company G were killed in action, and probably three times as many were wounded. No further details are available, such as the nature of his wound or whether he was removed from the line for a period of time. After the liberation of Campiglia, the 2nd Battalion's advance continued through San Vincenzo, Castagneto, and Bibbona, small picturesque towns that are now summer tourist destinations. For their liberation, 55 soldiers of the 34th Division paid with their lives. Sometimes the objectives were taken without a fight, while other times the retreating Germans put up strong resistance. The Germans conducted delaying actions, buying time to prepare their main line of resistance south of the Arno, along the Cecina River, about twenty miles south of Livorno. Here, they were determined to make a stand, making good use of self-propelled guns, pillboxes, and dug-in positions covered by extensive minefields.

The battle for Cecina, which took place from June 29 to July 2, 1944, was tough for the 34th Division and its assigned units, which suffered more than 90 battle deaths in four days. The 133rd Regiment alone had over 40 deaths. The Germans, supported by heavy Tiger I tanks, conducted intense fire with small arms, machine guns, and artillery, making extensive use of snipers during house-to-house fighting in Cecina. A famous episode of the battle, widely reported at the time, was the success achieved by an American M4 medium tank from the 752nd Tank Battalion (assigned to the 34th), which managed to knock out a German Tiger I heavy tank with a well-placed close-range shot. The 2nd Battalion finally liberated the town on July 2, 1944, at the cost of 15 deaths, none in Company G. The Germans also suffered heavy losses, with 118 killed in action during the entire battle and significant material losses.

The troops of the 133rd were exhausted from the grueling battles, and the regiment was placed in divisional reserve for a couple of days before re-entering combat on July 8, 1944, a few kilometers east of Cecina and the coast, near Riparbella and Castellina Marittima. The terrain in the area was extremely rugged, and progress was slow. Mule trains, managed by Italian military personnel, were used to bring forward supplies and evacuate the wounded. The 133rd now led the effort of the entire 5th Army, with Private De Lama's 2nd Battalion as the main unit in the sector. The advance towards the Arno proceeded against determined German delaying actions, blown bridges, and frequent counterattacks, which at times heavily hit the battalion.

On July 15, 1944, Ricardo De Lama was officially authorized to wear the Combat Infantryman Badge, the coveted insignia that, as the name suggests, distinguished combat infantrymen from all other military personnel. It was worn with greater pride than many valor decorations or campaign ribbons. Only infantrymen who had seen frontline combat and demonstrated a high sense of duty were eligible for the recognition, which also provided privates with a $10 supplement to their base pay of $50 per month.

On July 27, 1944, the entire 34th Division was finally moved to a rest and training area located along State Highway 1, three miles north of the town of Rosignano, near the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, where they remained until August 20, 1944. During the month of advancing in Tuscany, from June 26 to July 26, the division had lost 502 soldiers killed in action.

The Battles in the Apennines on the Gothic Line: September-November 1944

The Gothic Line was a belt of fortified passes and mountain peaks stretching deep along the Apennines, from the Ligurian Sea to the Adriatic coast. Due to the terrain's characteristics, the weakest points of the line were the mountain passes north of Florence and the Adriatic coast. The U.S. troops were tasked with breaking through the line in the Apennines, and the 34th Division was assigned to conduct a diversionary attack west of the Futa Pass, distracting the Germans from the Giogo Pass area, where the 91st Division was to make the main penetration with the help of the 85th Division. The 133rd Regiment had the challenging mission of breaking through the German defenses along the Calvana mountain range, a long ridge with elevations up to about 3,000 feet, running north from the Tuscan plain between Prato and Calenzano to the Apennine divide at Montepiano. Typically, for the Italian campaign, the terrain consisted of numerous mountain peaks, streams, deep valleys, jagged ridges, and rocky spurs, offering excellent defensive positions to the enemy. Although large numbers of troops were involved on both sides, small unit actions predominated, and units larger than a battalion were rarely engaged, as the compartmentalized terrain eroded the Allies' numerical advantage.

On the night of September 6, 1944, the regiment moved by truck from Castelfiorentino to a new training area near Florence, a journey of about fifteen miles on very dusty roads in complete darkness. Preparations for the imminent attack continued at a brisk pace. Heavy rains delayed the subsequent move to the small village of Cercina, on the northern outskirts of Florence. The regiment's final move brought them to Legri, the starting point for the attack on the Gothic Line. At 5:30 AM on September 11, the attack began, with Private De Lama's 2nd Battalion on the right of the regimental front. The 133rd was once again the main unit in the Fifth Army’s effort, and German resistance was determined despite heavy air and artillery support and meticulous preparation for the attack. For a period of nine days, from September 12 to 21, 1944, the 2nd Battalion was in almost continuous contact with the enemy, assaulting well-defended pillboxes and bunkers protected by barbed wire, extensive minefields, and fire corridors, or withstanding German counterattacks. The mountainous terrain also hindered supplies. Hundreds of mules and just as many Italian military drivers were used by the 133rd, and four or five mules were lost each night due to falls from steep cliffs and narrow paths in the dark. Small units often found themselves isolated, patrolling was a constant and dangerous affair, and the casualties were the highest the 133rd had suffered during the entire Italian campaign in such a short period of combat. In total, ninety-one soldiers were killed in action and four hundred thirty-two wounded in action. Company G alone had 15 deaths (almost half of the total for the 2nd Battalion) and a proportional number of wounded, likely up to around seventy, a battle casualty rate of about 45% if the company was at full strength at the start of the attack.

Private De Lama was among them, having received his second wound in action since his transfer to the 133rd Regiment. He was injured on September 15, while Company G was attacking along the Calvana mountain range towards the saddle south of Poggio Torricella (Hill 791), after surviving the company's hard-fought battle the previous day without harm. As with his previous experience, there is no information about his wound and recovery. It is known that throughout the battle, evacuating the wounded was extremely difficult. The mountain paths were often impassable even for mules and were mostly mined and covered by enemy machine gun fire. Stretcher teams often could only move at night and required all available personnel from all non-frontline units of the division. Local partisans and civilians guided the way at night on little-known paths and through the rugged terrain of the area. At one point, chains of stretcher bearers were established to cover the approximately six miles from the front lines to the waiting ambulances, and the bearers worked continuously until exhaustion. Providing assistance to the wounded was also a challenging task. The 2nd Battalion's aid station was sometimes located in a gorge near a completely destroyed village, in a heavily mined area, and had to operate in complete darkness.

With the successful penetration achieved by the 91st and 85th Divisions at the Giogo Pass to the east of the 34th Division, resistance on the Calvana decreased, and the Germans prepared to withdraw northward. By September 23, the 133rd had reached Montepiano to the west of the Futa Pass, and the following day the regiment went into divisional reserve: a well-deserved rest after such a bloody and uninterrupted period on the front lines. On the morning of September 26, an impressive ceremony was held in which the commanding general of the 34th Infantry Division, Major General Charles Bolte, presented numerous awards for valor and citations for exceptional service to the soldiers of the 133rd. On that occasion, the entire 2nd Battalion served as the honor guard, while the 34th Division band played military music.

By the end of September, the weather was becoming cold and rainy. Just like a year before, the 34th Division was once again struggling on mountainous terrain, battling both the Germans and the bad weather simultaneously. On September 28, the 133rd was transferred near Montecarelli, a move of about fifteen miles along dangerous and rugged mountain roads, with cold rain and strong winds chilling the soldiers traveling in uncovered trucks. The planned period of rest and rehabilitation was almost immediately cut short, and by the end of the month, the 133rd was near Madonna dei Fornelli, ready to aggressively attack the German strongpoints in the Monte Venere area, north of the Raticosa Pass. The 34th Division was participating in the Allies' last attempt to reach the Po Valley before winter, with a full-scale offensive by the U.S. Fifth Army and the British Eighth Army. German resistance, however, was stubborn and determined, and Hitler had personally ordered his commanders in Italy to defend the Apennine line, rejecting their requests to withdraw to the Alps. In the sector of the U.S. II Corps along the central Apennines, where the main U.S. attack was taking place, the assault divisions suffered more than 3,000 casualties in the first nine days of the offensive, gaining only a few miles of ground.

By the end of October, the determined German resistance, combined with a shortage of ammunition and transport, troop exhaustion, lack of replacements, and rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, forced the Allied Supreme Command to halt the offensive before reaching its objective. The offensive failed, but between the beginning of the assault on the Gothic Line in early September and October 26, 1944, the divisions of the U.S. II Corps suffered more than 15,000 casualties. Thus, on September 30, 1944, cold and soaked from the incessant rain, the infantrymen of the 133rd Regiment covered the final kilometers from their position. Poor assigned positions in a sea of mud. At 6:00 AM the next day, the men of Company G began their attack, covering the left half of the regimental sector, initially facing light opposition. However, the German response intensified throughout the day. The 2nd Battalion struggled to gain control of key terrain features, which changed hands several times. Company G lost 7 soldiers over two days of combat, mainly due to German artillery fire, which was rendered more lethal by the rocky terrain, increasing the fragmentation effect of the artillery shells. Mines were abundant, and the mud hindered tank support.

At the beginning of October 3, the 2nd Battalion moved to the rear for a brief rest, but the following morning they were alerted once again to lead the 133rd's attack towards the town of Monzuno, which was liberated after fierce fighting on the night of October 4, at the cost of another death in Company G. The attack continued under incessant rain, which halted vehicle movement and severely tested the engineer troops. When the 2nd Battalion was finally relieved on the night of October 7, 1944, it had suffered 32 deaths since the beginning of the month, 8 of which were in Company G. On October 11, the entire 133rd Regiment was relieved for a four-day rest period. The men could take hot showers, get haircuts, change their underwear and uniforms, and enjoy hot meals. Mail from home was distributed, and some soldiers and officers were sent to Florence to the Fifth Army Rest Center and the Rest Hotel.

On October 14, the regiment moved back to the line east of State Highway 65 to participate in the 34th Division's attack on Monte Belmonte, a key point in the German defenses south of Bologna. The 2nd Battalion, leading the 34th’s attack, set out at 8:00 PM on October 16, with strong armored and air support, heading towards Monte Belmonte with Company G on the right. Although the enemy was initially nowhere to be found, the assault companies were immediately subjected to heavy mortar and artillery fire. Additionally, the terrain made night navigation difficult, and several II Corps searchlights aimed at the clouds were used to illuminate the area.

At dawn on October 17, the 2nd Battalion had managed to climb the southern ridge of Monte Belmonte against heavy enemy small arms fire. With daylight, however, enemy tanks began firing on the exposed troops, and the 2nd Battalion's situation became desperate. Assisted by fog that hindered observation and artillery support for the attackers, the Germans counterattacked in force, supported by tanks. The surprise was complete, and the advanced elements of Company G were surrounded by the Germans, resulting in the capture of three officers and about twenty soldiers. The 2nd Battalion held its positions, but further attempts to resume the attack the following day failed against the strong resistance posed by the German 29th Panzer Grenadier Division. The 133rd redirected its attack towards Castel di Zena, but several attempts to reach the objective proved unsuccessful. Losses were heavy, and German artillery and mortar fire were some of the most intense encountered during the Italian campaign. Once again, the troops were exchanged in a new attempt to capture Monte Belmonte, which finally fell into American hands on October 23 after several costly attacks and counterattacks. However, it took several days to secure the objective against German counteractions. Throughout this period, Company G, often at the forefront, was heavily involved, at the cost of 9 dead and about 27 wounded.

By the end of the month, weather conditions deteriorated further. Roads and trails were mostly impassable, vehicles were destroyed or stuck in the mud, and often not even mule trains could bring necessary supplies to the front lines or help evacuate the wounded. The II Corps' attempt to reach the Po Valley was nearing failure. The troops consolidated their positions and aimed for limited objectives. Having secured Monte Belmonte, the 133rd adopted a mainly defensive posture. In a typical action, on the evening of October 26, an observation post of Company G in some buildings northwest of Monte Belmonte was attacked by a superior German force and withdrew without losses, capturing three enemy prisoners. Company G immediately called for artillery fire on the abandoned buildings, which continued throughout the night in preparation for an attempt to retake the post. The attack by Company G began as planned the following morning. A violent firefight ensued but failed to dislodge the Germans from the buildings. However, in the confusion of the close combat, a German tank mistakenly fired on the building, believing it had returned to American hands. This partially disorganized the German defenders, some of whom fled in disarray. American artillery immediately bombarded the house and the tank to capitalize on this mistake, but the remaining German forces, estimated at around forty, could not be dislodged. In the following days, they directed heavy fire at the Americans whenever they attempted to advance in the area. Participating in the October offensive cost the 133rd Regiment a very high toll in blood, with 151 dead, 474 wounded, and 84 prisoners of war. In the face of these losses, the regiment received only 185 replacements, and its effective strength at the end of the month was more than four hundred men below the approved organizational tables.

On November 1, 1944, the 2nd Battalion was placed in regimental reserve. The soldiers received their pay, and 46 fortunate enlisted men and five officers departed for a five-day stay in Florence at the Fifth Army Rest Camp and the Hotel Excelsior, respectively. The reserve area was covered in mud, and the weather was cold, but the pyramid tents were equipped with stoves, and three hot meals were served daily. Additionally, beer and other mess rations were available. After a few days, the battalion returned to the line, engaging in patrol activities and strengthening defensive positions in preparation for the next phase of the campaign. Mines and barbed wire were laid, elevated shelters reinforced with sandbags, timber, and corrugated iron were constructed, and weapon positions were established with the help of unusually clear weather. German artillery fire was not intense as both armies settled into a positional war. Moreover, all Italian civilians in the advanced areas were evacuated by truck and sent to safer locations. In total, about 350 people were relocated.

A Brief and Well-Deserved Rest Period: November 1944

Finally, news arrived that the 133rd Regiment would be pulled from the lines for a nine-day period of rest, rehabilitation, and training in the spa town of Montecatini Terme, near Pistoia in the Tuscan plain, famous for its mineral waters and sulfur springs. Under the cover of night on November 11, 1944, the weary soldiers of the 133rd exchanged all their weapons and ammunition, except for personal weapons, with their comrades from the 135th Regiment and departed for Montecatini Terme by truck. Chosen by the U.S. Fifth Army as a rest and training center for war-weary combat troops, the town had already been used for similar purposes by the Germans until the summer of 1944.

The weary soldiers found relief in the luxurious bathhouses, parks, and gardens of Montecatini, and slept in its over 200 hotels, equipped with electricity, running water, and fully functional bathrooms. The town was largely untouched by the war, although wartime conditions naturally affected the scarcity of goods displayed in its many shop windows. No training was scheduled for the first four days of rest in Montecatini Terme, and the soldiers slept to recover from the exhaustion of frontline service. Dance evenings were organized, attended by local Italian girls to the music played by the 34th Division band and Italian orchestras. Additionally, movies and theatrical performances were shown daily in four theaters. The soldiers could rent carriages with drivers or shop for Christmas gifts to send home. Mainly, though, they enjoyed hot sulfur baths in Montecatini Terme's famous establishments. The well-equipped American Red Cross Club offered a tailoring workshop, reading and game rooms, a bar, and movie and theatrical showings. Furthermore, the 133rd had its reserved Italian photography studio, where soldiers had their portraits taken to send home. Several men spent a few days in Florence, while many others received awards, decorations, and promotions. The commanding general of the Fifth Army, General Mark Clark, personally presented many of these awards during a ceremony on November 16. Christmas cards to be sent to the United States were distributed to the troops on November 17, and religious services were held daily.

Perhaps a more welcome visit was from several war correspondents and photographers from the Army magazine “Yank” and the Mediterranean staff of “Stars and Stripes,” along with the Fifth Army public relations section and commercial news services, including the BBC, who spent several days in Montecatini Terme gathering material for stories on the soldiers of the 133rd. These days of rest passed quickly, and on November 19, 1944, a pre-Thanksgiving turkey dinner marked the end of the stay.

The Return to the Front of Soldier Ricardo de Lama and His Death in Combat

On the morning of November 20, 1944, the 133rd Regiment left Montecatini Terme to relieve the 361st Regiment of the 91st Division along State Highway 65 at the furthest point of advance in the northern Apennines towards Bologna, only eleven miles away. The regimental command post was established about a mile south of Livergnano, in the village of La Guarda, from which all civilians had been evacuated. The lines extended for several miles to the north and crossed State Highway 65 halfway between Livergnano and Pianoro.

Observation posts were established, and existing positions were reorganized and reinforced, with the assigned mission of actively defending the area in preparation for the next strategic offensive, which was initially planned for December 1944 but would later be postponed until April 1945. Private De Lama and his comrades of the 2nd Battalion were assigned to defensive positions on the heights northwest of Livergnano, stretching from i Gruppi through Lucca to Guarduzza, where the 1st Battalion's sector began.

On November 23, 1944, Thanksgiving Day, was relatively quiet. During daylight hours, the usual artillery duels took place. Late in the afternoon, the early sunset preceded the customary reconnaissance activity, with patrols from both sides probing enemy lines. At 6:20 PM, while at the front line positions of Company G, Private Ricardo De Lama was struck by small arms fire and died, hit by a bullet emerging from the darkness.

Ricardo De Lama was initially buried in the military cemetery at Pietramala, near the Raticosa Pass, approximately fifteen miles from the front. Later, his remains were transferred to the United States for final burial at Pinelawn National Cemetery, Farmingdale, NY. His wife was informed of her husband's fate by the standard telegram from the War Department. Additionally, Ricardo's battalion commander signed a letter of condolence.

After Ricardo De Lama's death, his comrades in Company G continued their work through the winter, alternating periods of frontline service with rest, training, and defensive work in the rear. They were fortunate enough to spend Christmas at Montecatini Terme. They then participated in the spring offensive, entering Bologna on April 21, 1945, and pursued the Germans through the Po Valley to Ivrea, near Turin, in the Piedmont region. A sergeant from Company G died in a road accident in January 1945 due to the precipitous terrain and winter conditions, and four privates were killed in action in April 1945, the last casualties of the company before the end of hostilities in Italy on May 2, 1945.

In nearly six months of service in Italy, Ricardo De Lama was wounded in action twice before his luck ran out. Beyond this, we do not have much information about his time at the front with Company G. Depending on the severity of his injuries or due to other circumstances we are not aware of, he may have been away from his unit for unspecified periods. His award of the Combat Infantryman Badge on July 15 suggests that he was with the regiment at that time.

We know, however, that he saw and participated in many battles, enough to be wounded twice and ultimately lose his life. This is all we need to know as an undeniable and lasting testimony to his courage, sense of duty, and loyalty to his adopted country and his American comrades-in-arms. Ricardo De Lama had turned thirty-one a couple of months before his death, on the exact day his 2nd Battalion served as the Honor Guard during the grand ceremony in which Major General Bolte awarded medals for valor and citations for merit to many soldiers of the 133rd. Wounded in action for the second time just a few days earlier, we do not know if Ricardo was present at the ceremony or if he was still recovering from his injuries elsewhere. Nor do we honestly know what he and his comrades thought.

We like to believe that he may have shared the award ceremony with his comrades, as a fitting recognition in advance of his sacrifice, thus celebrating his thirty-first and final birthday.

I rapporti mensili del 133rd Infantry Regiment (read them here)

The monthly reports of the 133rd Regiment, which also form the basis of this story, are available online on this website thanks to Mr. Patrick Skelly, historian and secretary-treasurer of the Tri-state Chapter, 34th Infantry Division Association. His highly recommended site is an invaluable resource on the history of the 34th Infantry Division in World War II. Our deepest thanks go to Patrick Skelly.