We Are Not Free

Twitchy, 19. June-October 1944.

Twitchy is in Italy with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. His buddy, Bill Hayami, teaches him some of the area’s history. He has another friend, Kaz, who reminds him of Frankie. They see their first raid at Anzio, but the action they see in Belevedere is much more intense. A boy they know is killed. In Monteverdi, they find a cellar filled with wine, and Twitchy steals four bottles. They are assigned to take a hill, Hill 140, and one of their sergeants, Toshi Tamura, proves his bravery by independently taking on a group of Germans.

In mid-July, Twitchy’s squad clears Germans from a small village, Luciana, giving the Americans the high ground over the port city of Livorno. On the second day, Bill is shot in the arm by a sniper. While resting in Vada, Twitchy runs into Frankie who gives him a butterfly knife like the one he used to have in San Francisco. Twitchy’s squad marches to Lyon where a train takes them to France. On the way, they find a supply of C-rations and steal 20 cases.

The 442nd Team now has a reputation for fearlessness, which Twitchy proves in a firefight with the Germans.