Giornal.it Published on the 17.02.2005 with the title "Where is your God?" Republished on
CorriereAl, updated, 29/05/2009 con il titolo " Ma Dio c'era"
Alessandria - Fu un incontro fortuito quello fra Paolo Orlando, classe 1920, nato a Demonte in provincia di Cuneo, e il sottoscritto. Fortuito perché entrambi eravamo ricoverati in clinica in attesa di essere operati di cataratta, e per puro caso ci assegnarono la stessa camera. Ma fu anche un incontro fortunato, perlomeno da parte mia, dal momento che, complice la forzata coesistenza, Paolo non mi permise certo di annoiarmi.
Ed essendosi instaurata fra noi quel genere di amicizia che si stringe talvolta fra compagni di camera, quando ad entrambi fu nuovamente consentito di vedere il mondo in modo soddisfacente Paolo mi invitò a casa sua per proseguire il racconto di una parte importante of his life.
His house in the suburb of doffing of Boscomarengo, near Alexandria, is a typical two-storey building used partly as a residence and partly as a tool shed and garage work, where cages are not lacking for rabbits and chickens. In short, a typical country house, a modest but decent and above all full of memories.
with him, until his death that same year was 2005, his wife also lived. Now (I went to visit him a few days ago) shares her loneliness with a carer Romania. But the day picked up his story, next to the stove, his wife was still there and listened in silence. So here it is.
His father, police sergeant, was transferred to Alexandria and Paul, with his brother and his mother a midwife, takes root in doffing. However, unlike many other young men of his generation, he studied and graduated to become an elementary school teacher and Magistral. But then, as now, the use remains a mirage. Then chooses to join the Royal Army, as a volunteer. E 'in 1938, and after two years in the Army at the very time of expiry of the firm, Italy entered the war. We are in 1940, and Paul gets to be placed on leave May 15, the same day, "detained", ie, riarruolato and sent to Bolzano where he will undergo a course of 10 months. From that period
Paul does not have a good memory, Indeed, remember, he says, with "disgust". Especially for the bad treatment of him and his classmates in Alto Adige, considered "Italian" with contempt, but also the toughness of the course which they were subjected.
"I had bruises on his thighs - he says - when we gave the warning, or rest, we had to take violently beating her palms on the thighs - and it shows me in practice, snapping to attention, with slamming force on the palm hands on his thighs - but I remember they were always very undisciplined and it cost me several days in jail, but I had mastered the "job", I was the bravest of the course and conquered the rank of sergeant major. "
Continues the story of sitting on a chair in the kitchen beside the stove that gives off a pleasant warmth - "We were then assigned to the second of Fire Engineers House, waiting to be used, however, we were housed in the castle of Casale.
We slept on the ground on a bed of straw. I still remember eight double doors, gold, very beautiful. " A Paul
the memories of that period sometimes are confused, as he himself admits, but remember well that gave him 10 pounds a day, which accounted for the time gain by a competent worker.
"I spent five pounds from eating, and for other vices," I trust that the secondary was not among the vices that represented by women. His wife, sitting just away, pretending not to have heard!
E 'in 1941 when his company shall be transferred to Split, Dalmatia. "It was there - remember Paul - my captain told me to choose 16 or 17 men. I chose the best and we were obviously intended to Mostar in Herzegovina."
First, however, as the officers are assigned an attendant, to him, as a sergeant, is assigned a "post".
"His name was Martin Matina, was from Sicily, I do not remember, or perhaps have never understood the name of the city or country of origin. - Says Paul - It was an incredible effort to decipher what he said, because it was expressed only in Sicilian Strait. On the other hand, however, was a person who performs his duties with utmost diligence. "
In Mostar, the team of Fire Engineers Casale remains until June-July 1943, performing the tasks for which they were trained: putting out fires set by Allied bombing, but also by the shuttle, with tankers of drinking water between the mainland and numerous islands placed in front of the Dalmatian coast, ferried by Italian vessels.
"A couple of months before eight in September - continue to tell - the Germans to move Dubrovnick, Croatia, and apart from a despatch of command that allowed us to spend any amount to us but to walk means that we provided, I could no longer get in touch with anyone give us a shred of information about what was happening. "And that's where Paul and his company of Fire Engineers is captured on the eighth of September '43.
" The September 8 was a Wednesday - remember - and 12 was a Sunday. In these skirmishes take place a few days but we will continue to do our work, especially the water service to the islands. It was during one of the ferry, which we carry out with little of the Renault trucks, capable of carrying 15 tons of water, a lieutenant in the Navy offered me the opportunity to flee to Italy. Brackets - stops - do not know the corresponding degree in the Navy but I remember that had straps a pip (Comdr - Ed) and his name was Orlando. I realized that I probably would have downloaded in Pescara or Bari, but I had to leave my teammates. I did not felt - he says recalling the incident - I felt the weight of responsibility I was given when I gave the command of men. "
But the events fall, and soon Paul makes the seriousness of the events happening around him and his company - "The sailors were probably better informed than us, while we, unfortunately, still not fully understand what was happening around us. On 12 September, the Germans are packing your bags. "
disorder in that situation is dramatic total and the team of Fire Engineers is gathered by the Germans and asked to collect their things - "Let's go to another camp, tell us. Instead, after a short march, we are indeed in a field, but with hundreds, perhaps thousands Italian soldiers locked inside a fence of barbed wire, with four, or six machine guns - can not remember how many good - bet against us. "
At this point it must be for Paul to realize the situation, and feared the worst. E 'in predicaments like these that the best and worst of human beings comes to light. It is in the dramatic situation that Paul remembers a fact that for the opportunity and the enormity of the moment in which it occurred, took for him an unforgettable memory.
"We were all waiting for the many events that would decide our life when I realized that my column, Matina, was about to prepare a bed to lie down. I stopped him, telling him that from that moment on, he no longer had any obligation to me. That was free to do as they see fit, given the situation. The response was amazing. The well recall, said: "Maggie, Aggie always served well by forced, even more so as a free man."
How not to recognize the extraordinary to consider a free man in a concentration camp with four machine guns pointed at! It does not take a long time and still day (so to speak) Paul heard cawing its name from the speaker. He thinks he's arrived at the terminal and stalls, fears for his life. "Come on, a bit 'of dignity" - he says to himself, reproaching them for that unpleasant, but understandable feeling of fear for his life.
It appears to the command of the Germans, but they do not show at all hostile towards him. Indeed, the offer to accompany the army Germany as a combatant, and in return offer the immediate transition from officer to officer with all the prerogatives of the case. Paul
not accepted, the stars are stripped (the symbol of the royal family), but because it refuses to continue to play the job of driver, make him the grace of life and did not shoot. The refusal was not accepted, especially by those who were able to perform a task as important as that of Paul and his company. In fact, many drivers were not available German or Italian in 1943, and nearly all were engaged in the forefront. In the days before, Paul had to witness the death of five drivers who had refused to get behind the wheel. "A German captain who was missing an eye - says Paul -
personally fired a shot in front of each other."
save his skin, at least temporarily, keep the water distribution service, but when winter arrives Orlando is delivered in a workshop mechanical, requiring him to supervise the work of forty Italians.
"Every time someone cut the rope - remember fun - and when he would see I was threatened to be shot. This happened more than once when they found an empty camp bed, but she always managed to convince them that if I did not blame them (the Germans - Ed) sent them around in trucks without adequate supervision. Perhaps, however - he adds thoughtfully - the real reason was that we were too essential to the maintenance of their means to afford to do without our guns. "
shortage of drivers - as I said earlier - forcing the Germans to use the Italians, and Paul allotted austista to act as a German general in front of him on patrol assigned. Of course, not alone: \u200b\u200bthe general is abundant supplies.
"During one of these rounds patrol - Paul continues - also had to assist the implementation of a family of Slavs. I do not know why they were killed, it certainly kept me informed on what happened around us. I remember, however, and the fact struck me in particular, that after having witnessed the tragedy, the general advanced towards the hill that dominates a magnificent view and said in German: - "Schone (beautiful)!"
For Paul, everything changes in early July of '44 when the step of Pec, on the border Albanian is a fight with Tito's partisans. The Germans, who have orders to resist to the bitter end, they all die. "It 's been a terrible thing!" - Paul, however, understands that this is an opportunity to escape. So
Raise your hands, and moves toward the partisans screaming not to shoot. Is taken, used as a shield and sent forward, on patrol, where the battle had just ended. If someone had shot him would be the first to die. Nothing happens, the Germans were all dead. Then hand him over to the "political commissar" who does not believe that he has not fought. Furthermore, his uniform of Fire Engineers is dark blue, almost black like the Republicans. Paul, who in the meantime has studied and taught in the Slavic decent, still unable to prove that it actually was, because the insignia on his lapel, though torn, had left an indelible aura.
"Even the information taken in Mostar were in my favor - comments - I had been proposed by the German High Command to be commended, since the work with my team. Commendation which, fortunately, had never arrived, otherwise I do not know how it would ended up with the partisans. "
fact, brought a commendation from the German command would be considered collaboration and the result could have been shot immediately. Since then Paul begins to guerrilla warfare, first, on the side of Titina, albeit for a short period, as we shall see.
In fact, from Pec, with night marches, the group of partisans, he moved to Pizsren. More than half of the partisans died of starvation in that transfer between the mountains and wounded comrades begged not to abandon them alive.
was tragically, everyone knows that if they fell into the hands of the Ustasha, the result of the Germans, their end was terrible. The partisan fight him at the end of '44, in Belgrade, where, after a furious battle in which the German army was forced to retreat, meet with the Russian army and the Italian partisans, in whose ranks there are many of our soldiers.
From now until the end of the war, Paul is the follow- the Division Italy, II Battalion "Matteotti", Division 1, Proletarian. It was just between Belgrade and Zagreb - can not be more specific - when, in the night between 15 and 16 January of '45, they were attacked by the Germans .
"It was a massacre, I was able to flee across the Danube heading towards Zagreb." In that battle, however, has a confused memory.
The one thing there are three bullet holes.'s one pit cap, another the belt saving his life, and a third pierced his pants. The only clear memory is pleasant and the greeting of a peasant girl who wakes up the next morning in a stable, bringing him a bowl of milk. "That's great," cried again remembering today that time. He can then join with the rest of the company and from here back to Trieste, engaging in several clashes with the retreating Germans.
"I wanted to let them pass! Meanwhile arrives April 25, but for us the war will be only 8 or 10 days later, for the very reason that I said earlier. The Germans, in fact, they loved us but to surrender to the Americans . - he explains - I got home just in July of '45, after seven and a half years that have burned my youth. "
To prove that what I said is the truth, proudly shows me his card as a partisan and a commendation that the now former Yugoslav Republic sent him in 1974. I note the recently that television has aired a drama - "The heart of the Well" - they are also brought to light the crimes committed by the partisans Titina against civilians and Istrian Italians in general, just denouncing the massacre of men, women and children, guilty only of being Italian, the so-called "sinkholes". That is, deep caves and karst openings in the ground.
"I never had the opportunity nor hear, nor see any of that" - that is what Paul says, it should be remembered, he returned to Italy in early May '45.
'E' was horrible what I saw and lived with my fellow Italians and Slavs. Men not in uniform, but beggars So the only thing that distinguished them was the cap with a red star. We were so shabby that, in our course of action of disturbance, we happened more than once, to release the soldiers taken prisoner by the Germans and Italians used for heavy work. Well, after spending some time with us, to the bush, they preferred to return them to the Germans. At least they had something to eat with us instead of forced fasting was a rule almost daily. "
Also remember the meeting with an Italian soldier, Spinetta Marengo, whose family name was Diana. They became friends, but unfortunately during a 'action, the Germans killed him. Paul says her death made him furious and swore revenge killing with his own hands the first German who had had the opportunity to take prisoners. He says that
be brought to him on the spot where Diana lay. It was just a plowed field. He dragged the body into a furrow and covered him with his hands. "The pain I felt - remember - it was so strong that by speaking to a priest who was there with us yelled after him: -" Where is your God? "
And the opportunity to realize that vengeance materialized a few days later, when told of having made six German prisoners.
"I was ready to take them, I decided to put into practice what was promised, but when I saw them, they too dirty as we were terrified by the end they could have done, not I had more courage. "God, So perhaps this was even there in the midst of all this barbarism. At this point, after a long break due to the effort to recall facts and events that have reopened a wound that will never heal, she says, "You see Peter, the priest told me that the worst there is any limit. And it is unfortunately true . The man, on occasions, you lose any spark of humanity. Remember, never be too hard on your neighbor, because it could happen to you! "
When he returned home after seven and a half years, the habit of never let him sleep on the floor for some time yet, falling asleep in a bed. He had to sleep on the floor if he wanted to rest. I cease to urge because I realize how much it costs to remember everything, so that when we say goodbye at the door of the house, he invited me to visit him again: "But we no longer talk of those things."
