MASH Origins: Colonel Potter Chapter 2
Sicily
July 1943
The 224th Field Hospital made its second landing of the war, this time in Sicily. In May the Germans surrendered in Tunisia ending the fighting in North Africa. The Allies then crossed the Mediterrean and invaded Sicily. The hospital was set up in a lemon grove north of Gela. Once again they had to deal with the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe trying to kill them with bombs. Casualties came in from the front in Jeeps, ambulances and even on the back of mules (Sicily had plenty of hills and few roads, so Sicilian mules were put to work).
Major Potter was taking a break from surgery enjoying a real canteen cup of lemonade courtesy of the lemon trees all around the hospital. It was then that one of the medics Private Schmidt came up to him.
"Sir we got a problem. There's some old Italian man raising a ruckus. He keeps pointing to the trees and then the tents and jabbering in eye-talian. Can you talk to him?"
"Private, do I look like I speak Italian? Wait a minute; get that new Lieutenant, Delvecchio. She's Italian, maybe she can talk to him."
"Will do sir" and the Private took off toward the hospital ward. Five minutes later Private Schmidt returned with 2nd Lieutenant Delvecchio, a nurse who had joined the 224th after the fighting in Tunisia ended. A short dark haired woman from New York, Lt. Delvecchio was proving to be a good nurse, calm under pressure.
"You needed me Major?" Lt. Delvecchio asked. "I got to warn you my Italian isn't that great".
"Well right now you're the best we can get on short notice." Major Potter told her.
They walked over to the edge of the camp where an old farmer was talking to or rather talking at an M.P. Sergeant on the edge of the camp. The MP saluted Major Potter and told him the situation.
"The old man came up a few minutes ago and starting jabbering away. He won't leave. He's got his family with him too." A few feet behind the old man was an old woman wearing a black shawl over her head, what seemed to be the standard uniform for old ladies in Sicily. With her were a younger woman and a small boy.
"Okay Sergeant we got it from here. Well Lieutenant start translating". Major Potter said.
Lt. Delvecchio talked to the old man. The old man's face lit up and he started laughing. He then said something else and the Lieutenant frowned.
"Well what did he say?" Potter said getting impatient.
"He said I sound my Italian's old fashioned. I sound like his grandmother. I can't help it my family's been in America too long."
"Get back to the main point Lieutenant. Ask him what he wants." Delvecchio talked to the old man again. The old man rambled on a minute then Delvecchio translated.
"He says this is his farm. We are camped out in his lemon trees. He loves Americans, but we're costing him money so he wants us to pay him rent but he will take a job instead."
"Horse Hockey!" Major Potter said with anger. Tell him the U.S. Army will compensate him later on, but right now we will not pay rent." The lieutenant translated.
"How about a job sir?" Lt. Delvecchio said. "The Army can give him a job can't it?"
"And what job might that be Lieutenant?" Potter replied. She asked the old man. He talked again and gestured to his family behind him. Delvecchio asked him something in Italian. The old man got excited and waved his family forward. They came up and the old woman started talking to the nurse. Delvecchio replied and everyone got excited and started a whole conversation.
"Lieutenant now what are you talking about? We don't have all day we both have to get back to the hospital." Potter said with irritation.
"The old man says his wife and daughter can work in the kitchen. They can help with the laundry too. The old man and his grandson can clean up around the hospital. The old woman says asked what I did here and where I came from in the states. I told him I was a nurse from New York City. They say they got family there. I told them I would put a good word in for them with you for a job. So what do you say sir?"
" Lieutenant let me remind you we are not running an employment agency here. But if we give them a job will they leave us alone?" Potter asked calming down now.
Delvecchio translated and got a reply. "Sure sir but he asks us to stop eating up his lemons"
"Damn. I was afraid of that. I'll talk to the Colonel and get them hired". Potter then left to find the hospital's commander Lieutenant Colonel Coleman. He approved and the old man's family named Brazzi started helping around the hospital until the 224th moved north as the fighting shifted across the island and Lt. Delvecchio became the official spokesperson of the 224th in Sicily.
Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to the real "Lt. Delvecchio" who is neither a nurse or in the Army and as far as I know doesn't speak Italian.