On Thursday, May 14, 2015, 23 veterans who served together during the World War II Operation Shingle on the Anzio Beachhead in Italy came together on the USS Yorktown for what will likely be their final reunion. During Operation Shingle, soldiers landed on the west coast of Italy at Anzio, roughly 30 miles south of Rome, and took the Germans completely by surprise. While not one of the most well-known battles of World War II, 22 Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor during the battle at Anzio—the most of any single battle in World War II.
The primary objective of the landing at Anzio was to establish a beachhead, and then quickly drive inland to cut off and disrupt the highways German troops used for resupply. But it was far more complex than expected. Hitler was determined to fend off the Americans and Allied forces.
It took four grueling months until the area was secured by the Allied forces. This battle was critical to the ultimate liberation of Italy, but the price was high. Allied forces suffered nearly 87,000 casualties: 700 killed, 36,000 wounded, and another 44,000 were hospitalized from various non-battle injuries.
The final reunion of these brave men comes just days after the 70th anniversary of the Victory in Europe (May 8, 1945). The Anzio Beachhead veterans group has long included not only the men who fought on the front lines, but the nurses who supported them during the battle.
In addition to 22 veterans of the front lines of battle, Ramona McCormick of Ponte Vedra, FL also came to the reunion on the USS Yorktown. She is also a veteran; she was a member of the nurse corps who served bravely even under threat of enemy fire. She remembers six or seven of her fellow nurses who were in fact killed by enemy fire during the fierce battle at Anzio.
After touring the ship, the veterans assembled in Hangar Bay III for lunch and a short program remembering the critical importance of the battle in which they served their country so nobly. Fifth graders from Northside Christian School in North Charleston, SC read patriotic poems and sang “America the Beautiful” in their honor. Patriots Point was honored to play host to the final reunion of this brave group of WWII veterans.
For more pictures of their visit, see below:
