Sicily Sketch Book 3
This book may be the most interesting to me of the six, simply because the mix of geographies these young men hailed from. You had New York City, Brooklyn and Bronx mugs, along with a number of guys from Oklahoma. Overall, 74 soldiers from 22 states signed the book. 25 were from New York and 12 were from Oklahoma.
Private Amerigo Bosso, who signed the inside front cover, and Corporal Michael Silecchia, who signed page 24, were both present at the Biscari Massacre on July 14, 1943, though neither participated in the killing of prisoners. Bosso and Silecchia acted as interpreters and were ordered by Sgt. Horace West to march down the road with a number of the prisoners, while West executed other prisoners, mostly Italians.
Two of the men who signed the book were athletes of note. Pvt. Ralph Ventresco played football for Penn State from 1939 to 1941, and again in 1945. Ventresco was drafted into the NFL in 1946 by the Boston Yanks, though he did not play professionally. Pfc. Cecil “Buddy” Shumway was a Golden Gloves boxer in Texas before the war. He wound up being the heavyweight champion of the 5th Army in 1944. Shumway pursued a boxing career after the war, racking up eight wins and six losses.
Five of the soldiers who signed this book did not make it home. Pfc. Carl Lovinggood was a mystery to us, as he was listed as killed in action on June 11, 1944 near Rome. There were no battles there at the time, which made the circumstances of his death unclear. We discovered in the morning reports that Pfc. Lovinggood was first listed as MIA and then later listed as KIA. Dave Kerr discovered his Hospital Admissions Card which solved the mystery. Pfc. Lovinggood’s had stepped on a landmine.
There are still so many stories to discover and tell.

Front Cover
- Sgt. William T. Lewis, Hobbs, NM (38010424). Dated September 9, 1943. This is likely Lewis’ book.

Inside Front Cover
- Pvt. Amerigo Bosso, 211-43rd St, Brooklyn, NY (32217088)
- The note was in the book when it arrived. I believe William Lewis was Jack’s brother.
Title Page
- Pfc. John DiSalvo, 5 Baird Ave, N. Providence, RI (31061187)
- Sgt. Leslie Gusler, Port Sumner, NM. (38010405) Sgt. Gusler was killed in action in southern France on August 17, 1944.
- Cpl. Leman E. Hudson, Colgate, OK (20828121)
- Pvt. Thomas J. “Tommy” Lanahan, Albany, NY (12079159)
- Tec 5. Joe “Hombre” Magallanes, Date St, San Joe, CA (39279590)
- S/Sgt. John J. Phelan, 41-20 74th St, Jackson Heights, LI, NY (12058070)
- S/Sgt. Earl C. Watson, Ren Co. 645 T.D. (Tank Destroyer) BN., Hobbs, NM (38010432) S/Sgt. Watson was killed in action in Anzio, Italy on May 23, 1944.

Page 4
- Capt. Milton Joseph Jarrold, Tucson, AZ (O364874). Highly decorated. Later promoted to Lt. Colonel.
- Pvt. Michael R. Laborioso, 218 W 67th St, NYC (32197559)
- Pfc. Herbert M. Levy, c/o A. Furstman, 1425 51st St, Brooklyn, NY (32216830)
- Pfc. Carl V. Lovinggood, RR #1, Atoka, OK (20828084) Pfc. Lovinggood was killed in action near Rome on June 11, 1944.
- Capt. Jean R. Reed, Wagoner, OK (O3798666). Reed was later promoted to Major, then Colonel.
- Sgt. Reuben H. Sowder, Okemah, OK. (20828528)
- T/Sgt. Jimmie R. Tuttle, 2912 W. Okmulgee, Muskogee, OK (20827347 & O20551133). Later promoted to 2nd Lt. Communications officer.

Page 6
- Pvt. Harry J. Martin, 412 13th St, Niagara Falls, NY (12173873)
- Sgt. Jack R. McFarland,Wichita Falls, TX (38018532)
- S/Sgt. Tom Pierce, Grandfield, OK “Once an Okie, always an Okie” (38017264)
- Pvt. Arthur B. Rodgers, 470 Park Ave, East Orange, NJ (32189245)
- Pvt. Harry S. Welch, Sixes, OR (39307466)

Pages 8 and 9
- S/Sgt. Rene J. Boullion, 134 W 16th St,Holland, MI (36211771)
- Pvt. Clovis J. Johannesen, 22 2nd Ave, Port Washington, LI, NY (32213229)
- Cpl. Leslie E. Rahn, Whitesboro, NY (32233452)
- Pfc. Gordon L. St. John, 2 Mill St, Peru, NY (32213890)
- Pvt. Willie J. Waller, 218 12th St, Augusta, GA (34686238)
- Pvt. Ralph F. Ventresco, Pittsburgh, PA (33147715). Ventresco played football for Penn State in 1941 and was drafted into the NFL by the Boston Yanks. He never played professionally.
- Pvt. Seymour “Butch” Diamond, 46 Bogart St, Brooklyn, NY (32212028)
- 2nd Lt. Charles M. Mashburn, Jr., 2nd Lt., Rt. #2, La Vista Rd,Atlanta, GA (0-38769E). Later promoted to Captain.
- Pfc. J.P. (James Polk) Walker, Okay, OK (20827882)
- S/Sgt. Billie E. Seay, “Chuck Okie”, OKC, OK (38372886)

Page 10
- Pvt. Thomas R. Winters, 1640 S. Wilton St, Phila, PA “Pat O’Brien” (33173336)

Page 12
- Pvt. Alfred Kayitah, Mescalero, NM (38010315). Kayitah is listed as a Mescalero Apache.
- Pvt. Walter J. Kolodziej, 618 E 17th St, NYC (32197316)
- Pvt. Edward Larry, 5713 N. Mobile Ave, Chicago, IL (36305045)
- Pvt. Louis M. Shagi, 4207 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, NY (32207499). Later promoted to Corporal.

Pages 14 and 15
- Pvt. Antonio V. “Anthony” Barber, 41 Millard St, Brockport, NY (12055759)
- Pvt. Glenn L. Dickson, 153 State St, Grove City, PA (33410250)
- Tec 4 William H. Downing, 514 Penn Ave, Turtle Creek, PA (33147469)
- Pfc. Bronislaus “Brownie” Urbanczyk, 17 Prospect Rd, Lackawanna, NY (32233432)
- Pvt. Norman J. Barber, PO Box 635, Dunsmuir, CA (19076385)
- Pfc. Guy R. Chapman, 111 Mill St, Athens, OH (35626663)
- Pvt. Andrew De Luca, 179 Baltic St, Brooklyn, NY (32217000)
- Pvt. Peter V. Musciwujewski, 37 Caldwell Pl, Lackawanna, NY (32830054)
- Pfc. Cecil H. Shumway, 2211 Holmes St, Dallas, TX (38425188). Shumway was a Golden Gloves boxer and won the Army Heavyweight Championship Boxing title of the 5th Army in 1944.
- Pfc. Gabriel J. “Jimmy” Vendetti, 123 Merline Ave, Elmwood CT (31062854). Pfc. Vendetti was killed in action in France on January 14, 1945. He was previously wounded in Italy in June 1944.
- T/Sgt. Harold Williams, 3208 32nd St, Port Huron, MI (36130580)

Pages 16 and 17
- Pvt. Samuel Amato, Jr., RD #1; Coal Center, PA c/o Oliver K. Hixson (33423012)
- Pfc. Edmund Belanger, RFD #4, Auburn, ME (11027629)
- S/Sgt. Willis M. Bahnsen, 110 Park St, Oak Harbor, OH (35018760)
- Pvt. Bobby K. Furr, North Main Ave, Newton, NC (34601822)
- Pfc. Emeory E. Harrod, 855 N. Evergreen, Memphis, TN (34503097)
- Pfc. John McGurn, 18 Union St, Methuen, MA (31065209). Pfc. McGurn was killed in action in Italy on December 20, 1943.
- T/Sgt. Gorizio D. Rufo, 309 W 69th St, NYC (32197862)
- Pfc. Joseph J. Cimorelli, 29 Merline Ave, Newburgh, NY (32213418)
- Pfc. Howard F. “Mickey” Finn, 444 16th St, Brooklyn, NY (32207226)
- Sgt. John Tomositis, 19 Margin St, Hyde Park, MA (31060944)
- Pfc. James S. Worden, 614 Fremont St, Fulton, NY (32837639)

Pages 18 and 19
- Tec 5 Murray Benjamin Baskin, 1995 Creston Ave, Bronx, NY (12058357)
- M/Sgt. Clyde G. Hostetler, 12 Kensington Circle, Uniontown, PA (33277363)
- Pvt. Aaron Rutenberg, 109-20 71st Rd, Forest Hills, LI, NY. “To the best cook in HQ Co.” (32207222). Rutenberg was a cook before the war.
- Pfc. James J. Ryan, 2205 Ryer Ave, Bronx, NY (12042202).
- 1st Lt. Orrin O. McDaniels, Tulsa, OK (O-403714). Later promoted to Lt. Col. Also served in Korea.
- Sgt. Joseph T. Wolfe, 417 Vanderbilt St, Brooklyn, NY “I’m gonna raise it” (12057511)

Page 20
- Pfc. Everett Baker, 251 Mathewson, Wichita, KS (208282250)
- 1st Sgt. Lawrence A DeLisle, 1121 16th Ave S, Wausau, WI (36213596)
- Pfc. Vincent A. Iwanski, Bridgeport, CT (31040650)
- Pfc. Clifton W. Mills, Otoka, OK (20828120)
- Tec 5 George J. Swartzkopf, 308 N. College Ave, Green Castle, IN (35157135)
- M/Sgt. Jim S. Vestal, 405 N 2nd St, Marlow, OK. “Dress Right-Dress”. (20823483)

Page 24
- Pvt. Raymond J. De Natale, 10 Wilburn St, Bay Shore, LI, NY (32213791)
- Cpl. Michael P. Silecchia, Brooklyn, NY (12057978)

Page 26
- Sgt. Warren R. “Dog” Grider, Rt. 3, Okemah, OK (20828522)