Not Enough Angels: A Soldier's Story with an Angel on His Shoulder a Memoir

By Vincent Lubrano

There is no available information at this time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 30, 2008
• ISBN: 9781465317988

Vincent Lubrano

VINCENT LUBRANO had a varied life in which he was a singer/actor, a choral director, an artist, a photographer and a soldier. Not until he retired did his thoughts go to writing. The final incentive to write was after having read Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation and various writers encouraging him to write about his unique wartime experiences did he decide to add the title of author to his name.

Book preview

Copyright © 2008 by Vincent Lubrano.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2008906608

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4363-5915-3

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4363-5914-6

                    Ebook                                     978-1-4653-1798-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

50068

Contents

Note by Author

An Introduction

Prologue

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

Reprise

Part 3

This memoir

is dedicated to

my wife Floria, my son Eric,

and my mom in memoriam,

for whom my Angel guided me home safely.

I wish to thank the following persons

for their help in various ways.

My wife Floria, who encouraged me

to write my memoir

and helped from the beginning with

her critique and patience.

My brother-in-law Carl N. Spagnuolo,

who helped me get started

and encouraged me.

My dear friend Marie-Regine Rameau of France,

who helped by obtaining information

from her mother Suzanne

on the occupation of France by the Nazi

Suzanne Rameau, who related to Marie-Regine

information about the occupation in her teen years,

whom I met after landing in Normandy.

The following writing instructors.

Dave Acker of the Academy of Lifelong Learning

at Cape Cod Community College.

Madeleine Felker of the Inkwell Bookstore

in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Note by Author

All events and people are real.

Due to the length of time since certain events occurred,

some dates may not be accurate.

An Introduction

It is the year 2002, fifty-six years since the end of WWII. Why, after all these years, am I thinking about that brief thirty-month interruption (July 1943 to January 1946) out of my life? After being discharged out of the service, I immediately leaped into my future life. There was so much that I wanted to do. It became a busy, exciting, and beautiful life with occasional setbacks; and I never had the time to look back to that brief period. It was like it never happened.

Not wanting anything to sway me from my future plans, I called my old place of work and told them that I survived the war, was in good health, but would not return to pursue my singing career. Speaking to a coworker and a good friend from the past, he could not believe that I was not returning and asked me, Are you really OK? By the sound of his voice I thought that he did not believe me. After all, I did promise when I left that I would return to them. That was then, and during the time that I was away, my feelings had changed. I wanted to start a new life. I immediately started the life that I loved so much, studying and performing. At the same time, I met and fell madly in love with a beautiful girl named Floria (Carla Fiora, an opera singer), whom I married ten years later.

My busy life consisted of marrying Floria ten years after my army discharge, having a beautiful son named Eric. It had many twists and turns from singer to choral director to artist, retirement, and a photographer.

Now the reason for reviewing that short period of my life. I have been thinking and saying what-if. There were many times during that period that things were supposed to happen but, due to a twist of faith, did not; and but for a split second all of the above would not have come to be. Some of their lives would be different; and but for that ANGEL on my shoulder, I was, am here, and so are they.

We were at war, and civilians were being inducted at a rapid pace. When it was time for my induction in 1942, I was turned down for health reason (a heart murmur). I could not believe it.

In August 1943, I was recalled and found in good health. I was in good health so soon, I thought? Or did they need new troops so badly? I did not question it since I was pleased. I was then asked, Army or navy? I chose army, foolishly thinking that since I was not a good swimmer if in the navy (as though it mattered). I was jubilant to be accepted, thinking that someday I might catch up with my brother Joe somewhere since he had gone into the service the year before in my place.

I could not wait to tell my mom that I was accepted, which could not have been happy news to her since now she had two sons in the service. But she was strong in her faith.

My brother Joe was put in the Engineers and eventually took part in the African, Sicilian, and Salerno landings. Again, by a twist of faith and that ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER, I was spared those battles at my brother’s expense. Sometimes I think, what if our roles were reversed as they were supposed to be originally, what changes would there have been in both our lives? Would I have gone into the Engineers or some other combat unit, and would I have survived? We were of different temperaments and probably would have reacted differently under certain situations. Nevertheless, those thoughts were on my mind for some time, but I always had great faith that I would get through this war safely.

Prologue

April 19, 2005, Normandy Revisited

Sixty-one years since my landing on Utah Beach in June 11, 1944, I decided to revisit that sight. Traveling with my wife Floria, son Eric, and daughter-in-law Judy, in Paris we met French friends Marie-Regine and Marie-Benedict on April 15, 2005 (daughters of Suzanne, the girl I met after landing in Normandy in 1944).

We toured Paris for three days and then drove to Normandy to visit the Utah and Omaha beaches. But first we were invited to have lunch with Suzanne and Marcel Rameau and family for a reunion in St. Saveur leVicomte, Normandy. The following day we would visit the Normandy beaches.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Guided by Marie-Regine, we drove to the coast of Normandy. After viewing the Utah and Omaha beaches, we went to see the memorials. There we saw a touching memorial to the fallen soldiers. The American cemetery at Omaha Beach in Coleville-Sur-Mer was breathtaking with 9,387 crosses. My mind went back to June 11, 1944, and my first sight of Utah Beach at night, from an LCI (Landing Craft Infantry).

The action over the beach was like the Fourth of July fireworks, with tracer bullets traversing the sky back and forth, and occasional bursts.

My mind was focused on that day years ago as I decided to walk around the cemetery with the many crosses. I walked away from my family, wanting to meditate alone for a few minutes. It was a cold, cloudy, windy day, much like that day of my landing. A sudden chill came over me.

I was walking slowly, thinking of the many soldiers who had lost their lives. Then my imagination started to get the best of me to the point that I thought I heard, Pst, pst. What was that? I wondered. There was no one near me, so I kept on walking. Then I heard a muffled voice say, Hey, over here, don’t go away, look down. As I looked down, I heard that voice say, I didn’t make it that day, and that’s why I am still here. I then said in my mind, Did I know you? He replied, Not really, but I took your place. What do you mean you took my place?

"Well, it was this way. I was in Torquay, overlooking the bay and the English Channel, the same as you were in that house on top of the hill, waiting for the call. Then something went wrong with communications that your company did not get the call, and my company came instead, in your place. We crossed the channel early June 6 on the same LCI that you had boarded a few days before, to get familiarized.

When we arrived at Utah Beach, it was an awesome sight, which made my heart pump fast, as we were about to descend the ramp. So what happened? I asked. To tell it one way, you ducked, and a shell hit me in the face. What do you mean that I ducked? I didn’t get there until five days later. He replied, I mean that by you not being there on that craft, in that landing, I took your place, and it was like you had ducked and I was hit instead.

That remark stunned me, and all I could say was, I am sorry. It was supposed to be me. He replied, Don’t be sorry, that’s fate. I thought that’s one of my expressions. Then he said, You had an Angel on your shoulder. Why didn’t you have an Angel on your shoulder? I asked. At that, he replied, "That day there were not enough Angels for