MONTECCHIO MAGGIORE, Italy – Sgt. William Cantrell stood beside Italians dancing in Piazza Marconi to celebrate the 80th anniversary of their town being liberated.
And then, he was part of it.
“I was on the side and this little old lady just took my hand,” said Cantrell, a Tennessee-born paratrooper from the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion. “I couldn’t say no.”
His command team, Lt. Col. Ryan Hulse and Command Sgt. Maj. Gerardo Moran, already had Italian dance partners. And soon, a dozen paratroopers were folk dancing in jump boots throughout the cobblestone square, just below the famous Romeo and Juliet castles.
Traditional Italian music played. Hundreds of townspeople clapped and watched.
Cantrell knows a few country line dances from back home – but the Italians have their own way of traditional dancing. He smiled and laughed as a teenage girl showed him the back-and-forth patterns of their folk dance.
Most Italians celebrate their Liberation Day on April 25. U.S. Soldiers liberated Montecchio Maggiore, just a few miles west of Vicenza, and the surrounding areas between April 27-28, 1945. The April 27 commemorative event began with a formal portion followed by a celebration with people dancing in 1940’s garb.
“I didn’t expect it to be this spectacular, the magnitude of what it is,” Cantrell said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this, it’s phenomenal. I’m proud to show the people that we support them, and they support us and we’re just having a great time.”
The 173rd BSB has a longstanding partnership with Montecchio Maggiore under U.S. Army Garrison Italy’s Community Alliance Program.
Earlier, the 173rd paratroopers stood in formation as Moran called them to attention. Children sang the Italian national anthem. Church bells from the nearby Duomo di Santa Maria e San Vitale rang out as the local Italian band struck up their rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. The U.S. Soldiers again snapped to attention and saluted. Then, a convoy of World War II-era U.S. Army vehicles from the local museum “Museo delle Forze Armate 1914-1945,” rolled into town.
Less than two miles away, in the early hours of April 28, 1945, a task force made up of Soldiers from the 88th Infantry Division paused near Montecchio Maggiore before launching their assault down highway 11 into Vicenza. Many of the Italian war reenactors driving the tanks wore 88th ID uniforms.
One reenactor, Enrico Ricci, 32, came from Alfonsine, a small town near Ravenna about 100 miles south of Vicenza. A collector, Ricci’s grandfather fought in the war. He now has World War II uniforms from the Italian, German and British forces. For this occasion, he wore his American uniform complete with a unit patch from the U.S. Army’s tank destroyer battalion. Women kissed Ricci and his friends, so they had lipstick marks on their cheeks, as did some GIs upon liberating towns. They posed for endless photos with townspeople.
“It’s important because, it’s been a long time since the war, “Ricci said. “We can’t lose the stories.
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Afterward, the paratroopers were treated to refreshments at a nearby hall. There they shared how they felt about participating. Pfc. Gavin Smith was grateful for the opportunity and said he’d return to Montecchio “100 percent, in a heartbeat.” Spc. Moya Norton was glad to volunteer for the assignment. Spc. Michael Andress reflected what he called a “historic moment.”
“Spending time celebrating our relationship with the local people is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Andress said.
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Anna Ciccotti contributed to this report
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