Dalle Carbonare Gaetano
11/02/2002

Lives in Cameri, Italy.  Captured by American forces in Tunisia, March 3, 1943 along with 3,000 Italians.  Loaded on the French Ship Pasteur (captured in Canada by the Allies at the outbreak of war).  First to Casablanca and then a 10-day trip to Halifax, Nova Scocia. 

Then a train ride to Indianapolis.  From Indianapolis, they were loaded onto military trucks and taken the 45 miles to Camp Atterbury.  He worked for Porter Avery in Flat Rock, Indiana.

Photo taken at Porter Avery's farm near Flatrock, Indiana, 5 December 1943.

 January 3, 2003 

My dear Mister James West, 

I received your letter with great pleasure, I had profound emotion when I saw the photographs of Camp Atterbury, where I spent a part of my life as a Prisoner of War in that distant year of 1943. 

Further emotions for me when I saw the ship “Pasteur” that left north Africa at Casablanca and carried me to the USA and into the port of Halifax. Then to in seeing the ship sink, it made me very sad to see the ship when it sank. 

Mister Davis was kind enough to send me the photographs and would come to visit me and remember things. It made me sad. Actually, my health has not been so good. I have not been in good health, I had a heart attack and was not able to answer you letter earlier. Now I can tell you some things about the way it was at the concentration camp. 

We arrived at Halifax and were transported by train to Indianapolis, from Indianapolis to Camp Atterbury, we were taken in military vehicles. We didn’t have access to the train. 

The life we went through in Camp Atterbury was a little sad because in that time (1943) the war was not over and I always thought of my family in Italy.  I am not lamenting the way it was as a prisoner of war. The Americans had treated me very well. I have known many good persons who knew of my anguish. 

I was transferred further from Camp Atterbury where we stayed for a year. First in Missouri, (Camp Weingarten) where we gathered cotton. After that, to Camp Perry (in Ohio) and then to Denver in the state of Colorado, where I worked for a year in the hospital. (Fitzsimmons).  

For my work, I was paid 80 cents a day. In the center of the camp there was a commissary where beverages were sold - Coca Cola, etc. When we were paid, we would buy souvenirs. At the canteen we ate very well all the time. On Sunday, we would go to Holy Mass in the camp chapel. In the evenings, we would play cards and every Sunday play games and exercise. We formed exercise teams. 

Mister West, This is all my life that I had gone through as a Prisoner war in the United States  - all here.  I am grateful to the American Authorities for the good treatment I had. 

I am enclosing a foto copy that was made when I was at Camp Atterbury, and some coupons that were used to buy coca cola and other things.  

When I was repatriated from the U.S.A, I had written a letter to my American friends thanking them for my good treatment. If you would like I will send you a copy of that letter.  

Thank you for the photographs of the Pasteur that you sent me, and of the images of the chapel of Camp Atterbury. 

I send you my best wishes for good health, and hope that this letter pleases you. 

(Hand written)

P.S. It was with great pleasure that I received a telephone call from Mister Libero Puccini of the USA. 

(Hand written)

In this letter, find a foto copy of my photograph and three coupons that were used to buy coca cola (1943) 

Gaetano

thank you sent