The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the Po Valley Campaign - Italy 1945 - Jan. 8th, 2004

www.army.mil ^

[SAMWolf]

I;ve been riding once since I got here, camping trip with my sons Scout Troop. My butt was sore for a week. :-)

[SAMWolf]

Hi CT. They Came, They Saw, They Kicked A$$!!! Great job Eagles.

How un-PC of me

[colorado tanker]

Nice read, today. For a "soft underbelly" that real estate sure had a steep price.

Interesting region of Italy. This must be where Bologna and Po-Boy sandwiches come from.

[colorado tanker]

They Came, They Saw, They Kicked A$$!!!

I always wondered what the English translation was. :)

[SAMWolf]

Why anyone thought that fighting their way up the boot of Italy would be a good idea is beyond me. Someone must have thought the Germans would cut and run as soon as we landed.

[snippy_about_it]

This must be where Bologna and Po-Boy sandwiches come from.

Too funny!! Bologna maybe, but Po-Boy. LOL!

[AnAmericanMother]

Oh, he is. And I will. :-D

[colorado tanker]

Maybe they didn't know Italy is mountainous?

I suppose I'm looking at the thing in hindsight, but if we really wanted Italy, after securing the land across from Messina, why didn't we land at the head of the Adriatic Sea and run up the Po Valley to cut off the German units in the "boot."? An Inchon kind of approach.

[colorado tanker]

Good afternoon, Snippy!

There's some good eatin' in Italy, even if they didn't invent the Po-Boy. Had some yummy chicken catch-a-Tory last night.

[snippy_about_it]

chicken catch-a-Tory

LOL. History related food names. I like it!

[AnAmericanMother]

I;ve been riding once since I got here, camping trip with my sons Scout Troop. My butt was sore for a week. :-)

Let me guess: (1) Western saddle - a Western saddle that doesn't fit properly is much more uncomfortable than an English ditto (2) you SAT in the saddle instead of "standing" in it (if you're riding correctly your butt is in the seat, but your weight is tipped forward onto your inner thighs. Shorten stirrups as appropriate to maintain position.)

I hadn't ridden since before Christmas when I went out on a fox hunt for three hours last weekend - galloping and jumping through fields, woods, and soggy river bottoms. My quads and adductor muscles (on the front and inner thigh) were VERY sore, but my bottom was unscathed.

That's why you need to go to a trainer! When my non-riding friends announce that they are going pack-trailing or to a dude ranch, I set them up for a 6 week course of riding lessons before they leave. That way they can enjoy the scenery instead of shifting around in agony on what feels like a red-hot steel plate . . .

Anyway, don't judge riding by a jaunt on a Hertz Rent-A-Horse. Those horses usually aren't much good, they pick up lots of bad habits and most of their riders don't know how to correct them, it's just about the worst place to ride for a beginner.

[SAMWolf]

Yep, Western saddle and didin't lean forward. I have a lot to learn about horse riding. Heck getting up on her was a major job for me.

[colorado tanker]

Do too much historical food and you end up re-fighting the Battle of the Bulge.

[aomagrat]

Did any of the South Dakota class survive?

All ships of the South Dakota (BB-49) class were scrapped before they were even completed. However two ships of the South Dakota (BB-57) class survive to this day.

[SAMWolf]

That's the American translation. LOL!

[SAMWolf]

Yep. Although the attempt at Anzio didin't work out quite according to plan. I think it all had to do with the range of air cover.

[snippy_about_it]

Ha ha ha! Been there, done that!

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks aomagrat.

[AnAmericanMother]

Getting up on my mare is a major job for me! I have a tall mare, I'm short, and what's more I have short legs. I spend a lot of time leading her around looking for buckets, car bumpers, fence rails, etc. We were out on the fox hunt and I had to dismount in the middle of a large field to adjust my saddle pad. I led her into a ditch and lowered my left stirrup about four notches and was able to scramble back aboard. Argggggh! Fortunately she is a good mare, and very patient.

Here is a picture of her from the fox hunt. She is cantering (the slow version of a gallop) up a hill, and the photog caught her in the third beat of the canter and in perfect position. She looks just like a hunter should, with her chin tucked in and her body bent in the direction of the canter.

The photog followed the hunt on a 4-wheeler, and would dash out in front and wait in strategic positions for everybody to come through. By the time the hunt breakfast was over, he had proofs and his website ready for everybody to view. He did a really good job and got some great shots. I love this one.

[AnAmericanMother]

Well . . . I found the "Roaming From Rome to Rome" file - it's a PDF file -

Can you tell me how to post it?