Mr. Macy Whitehead
(March /August 1947)
" I came to Italy in the spring of 1946 with several other young men, all of whom were Conscientious Objectors to participation to war. Having refused to take part in the destructiveness, we were eager to give of our time and energies to the rebuilding of that which had been destroyed and to encouraging a return to peaceful life.
We had volunteered to be a part of the project sponsored by the American Friends (Quakers) Service Committee(AFSC) to encourage the rebuilding of villages in the Abruzzi. The project began in April 1945 with two trucks and five men. With Headquarters in Casoli they worked in two villages, Montenerodomo e Colledimacine. The pilot project was so successful that UNRRA made available money and trucks to greatly expand the operation.
The Italian government stepped in with the organisation of CASAS (Centro Autonomo Soccorso ai Senzatetto). My work with this program was in the Sangro Valley, but at the end of 1946 our work with this program ended. I was transferred to Palena to help in a "Community Service project" . In March I moved to Montenerodomo to prepare for a work camp which was to take place that summer. My home in Montenerodomo was in the building that is now a part of the Rossi Market, the entrance right next to where Nick Rossi (from Canada) lives in the summer.
I remember looking out the window on an early spring morning on thick mist in the valley but bright sunshine on the village. I think of the hard work and the laughter as men of the village worked as volunteers to clean rubble from the site where the Asilo(infantile) was to be built. I was sick for a few days with an intestinal bug and with what kindness three different people send me remedies to help. I tried them all and was soon recovered! I lived alone until the work camp began in July, but found support and companionship with the young men teachers with whom I swapped coaching in English for help with Italian.
I still have the marionettes we made to present a little play written by D'Orazio Lorenzo to promote interest in the Asilo project.
I came back to America at the end of that summer carrying with me many good memories, pictures, some song, a pizzelle iron, a copper coffee pot and a conca. My grand children are delighted when once or twice each summer we gather around an open fireplace and make pizzelle. There are anyleft-overs !
All my memories were refreshed when I was able to return to the Abruzzi in the summer 1998. The general shape and style of the villages was familiar, but the total rebuilding had erased almost all familiar details. I could not identify any structure in whose rebuilding I had been a participant. Even the day nursery, built by the work camp was gone, falling victim to the changing of lifestyle and the need for space for a new church bell tower. Then a discovery: the lasting ties were to the people whose lives I had shared. Whenever I found such a person, the reconnection was instant, and memories of shared events and the work that was done flowed. Excited voices shared with whomever was in hearing range the information about who I was and what had transpired when I lived among them.
In a difficult world people of goodwill working together cam make difference in bringing hope and reconciliation".
TEATRO DI MARIONETTE
Scenetta rappresentata nel corso della ricostruzione dell'asilo infantile nel 1947
(testo scritto dal Maestro D'Orazio Lorenzo)
Pagliaccio Seduto su un mucchio di pietre, avvista un contadino che, zappa in spalla, si dirige al lavoro. Il Pagliaccio è preso dalla curiosità di sapere dove va il contadino e così si inizia il seguente dialogo
Pagliaccio Buon giorno signor contadino; dove andate così di buonora e con questa
pesante zappa?
Contadino (Credendo trovarsi a dialogare con un signore per bene si adopera dì rispondere nel modo più cortese possibile, intercalando al discorso dialettale qualche vocabolo italiano.)
Buon giorno a signuri'. Eh, signo' , andiamo a faticare all'Asilo.
P. L'Asilo? E che cosa è quest'Asilo?
C. Eh, Signò, a quello che manno ditto a da essere na cosa a do ci sta monache, quatriele, scole, giardine; insomma pare ca vomme fa na cosa bona finalmente.
P. Oh! Piano, piano, voi avete detto tante cose, senza che io abbia capito un bel nulla.
C. Rivolto al pubblico, in sordina, dice:
Ma quiste a da essere nu mammuocce forte.. Ma come non ha capito un bel nulla, è mai possibile ca na persona struita come a lei n'za che rappresenta l'Asilo? N'za cha ci sta le monache, che mbare le quatriele
P Ah, ho capito dovete costruire una casa?
C. Ah, sci capite mo!
P. E dove sarà costruita?
C: A lu palazze di Don Tito, vicino a la Chiesa. E' nu pouste buone e sta proprie mmiezze a lu paese.
P. Beh, bene, bene, e pagano molto ? quanto vi danno al giorno?
C. (Idem rivolto al pubblico)
Ma i le so ditte ca quiste ere fesse. Ma come, mo taie ditte ca è na cosa tanta bona, che si fa pe lu bene de le fije nuostre,e tanna pure paga? Sicome si dice che nu poche pedune ne fa male a nisciune e perciò mo me ne vaje.
P. Voi costruite un Asilo con una prestazione di lavoro volontario! Senza che vi sia l'impresa, senza almeno l'intervento del Genio Civile.
C. E cumpà si gna è l'imprese ! pensa a fa le quatrini e lu guverne non ze move. C'emma penzà nu paccuncia na zé a eccammonde.
P. Ah ho capito, voi fate l'Asilo e rnanderete i vostri bambini anziché a pascolare le pecore, in questo magnifico luogo per istruirli.. Bell'affare, ma non vedete che questo torna a vostro danno, va contro i vostri interessi!
C. (Rivolto al pubblico)
Ma va a fini ca mo je leiaaccoppe e zitte na botte a quiste. Ma inzomme le vu capi o ne le vu capi ca le quatriele là z'mbare. E dopp le quadriele va a st'Asilo quande è piccirilli, quande la mamme ia da sta appriesse tutte lu sante journe. Accusci dopp che za fatte nu paie dienne a mbararze da pu va a le pechere, a le vuove. Capite scieine o naune!
P. Ma a quanto pare hai proprio ragione.
C. Beh, se haie ragione, acchiappe che la pale e jamme
SI CHIUDE IL SIPARIO