Back in Rome on my birthday, Dec 1, 2021
I first went to Rome over 50 years ago, on leave from Vietnam. When you extended your tour in Vietnam they gave you 30 days of leave plus a ticket anywhere in the free world. So I extended and left Vietnam on Dec 15, 1970.
I had been interested in Israel ever since reading Exodus by Leon Uris. This book portrayed the gallant Israelis fighting for their survival. Plus of course the history of Israel is fascinating. So I chose to travel to Israel. Plus it was on the other side of the earth from Vietnam, so I was able to fly around the world to get back to Danang.
I flew back on military air to Okinawa and then California. I stopped off to see my relatives in western South Dakota, and then visited my family in Chicago for Christmas. Then I flew to Rome and spent several days there, wandering around the city in the constant rain. Fantastic city.
I wandered into the Vatican on New Year’s Day. All kinds of people were kneeling in St Peters Square in the rain. I thought they were crazy. I could not figure out what was happening until I realized the Pope was blessing us all from a balcony.
My father had also been blessed by the Pope when his outfit liberated Rome in World War II in June 1944. His experience was much more intimate. He and some guys from his outfit went in the St Peters. A priest summoned them inside a smaller chapel and about twenty of them had a private audience with the Pope and were blessed.
Both my Dad and I were 23 year old Lieutenants and pleased to be blessed, especially since we both had some war left. Both my father and I felt a bit guilty as we were not Roman Catholics. A shame to have a good Papal blessing on Lutherans.
His interesting story about WWII on the links below:
http://hullingerwwii.blogspot.com/
http://109thengineers34thdivision.blogspot.com/
https://109thvideo.blogspot.com/
My full story about travelling around the world in 1970-71 at:
https://aroundtheworldruhu.blogspot.com/2015/09/around-world-1970-71.html
It is still raining cats and dogs.
The restaurant below, in a building built over 2,000 years ago.
Click for moe photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6ZebEHR3pHdAVQBUA
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