At the start of 1944, U.S. and British forces of the Allied VI Corps made another bold amphibious landing on the Italian shoreline. This one was near the western coastal cities of Anzio and Nettuno, located 35 miles south of Rome. The date for the landing was January 22. And the codename was Operation Shingle. The goal of the operation was to break the stalemate in southern Italy between German and Allied forces by flanking the enemy and piercing their Gustav Line of defense before moving on to Rome.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific Theater, Army Divisions landed on the island of Bougainville in January 1944 to relieve the Marines. Hoosier Carl Hawkins was one of the Army infantrymen arriving there.
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About Ronald P. May
About Ronald P. MayAuthor, Historian, Public Speaker, and Preserver of Life Stories
Ron holds a Masters’ Degree in World War II Studies from Arizona State University. He is the author of four published books: three of them feature stories of World War II veterans and his most recent book highlights World War II Landmarks in Indiana.
Ron May is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania and lives in Westfield, Indiana with his wife, Glenda. He was a Lutheran Pastor for 25 years and a Navy Reserve Chaplain for 22 of those years. Ron currently serves as the Chaplain at Hoosier Village Retirement Center Community in Zionsville, Indiana. He is also a personal historian specializing in helping veterans preserve their military service stories. Ron does public speaking engagements focused on World War II history and veteran stories. He also portrays himself as America’s most beloved war correspondent, Indiana native Ernie Pyle, reflecting on his wartime experiences through a dramatic first-person presentation.