Almost 70 years to the date of combat in the small town of Tremensuoli, Italy, the University of Kentucky’s Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History along with a researcher in Italy connected to reveal an amazing discovery about an American GI who served in the battle and quite literally, left his mark on that community.
In 2014 Giovanni Caruso contacted the Nunn Center at UK Libraries researching a story he wanted to write on a battle in the small town of Tremensuoli in 1944. He had discovered a carving in a stone wall there that identified an American soldier, name and date from hometown and state (M.A. Webb, C-ville, Ky., 1944 March 30). The writer had connected the name to an oral history interview in the Nunn Center’s collection with World War II veterans. The interview, recorded in 1986 by Col. Arthur L. Kelly, was with Marshall Webb of Campbellsville.
There was a major battle in Tremensuoli where Webb and his fellow soldiers fought for around three months. In his oral history interview Webb talks specifically about the battle around the time of the carving and even reads a poem he wrote about the battle.
Outside of his combat service in Italy, Webb was part of the unit that first entered the Dachau Concentration Camp in the hours following liberation. Much of his remembrances and collection powerfully document this experience.
While Webb died in 2004, Boyd connected with Marshall Webb’s widow Opal, and with the Webb family.
In addition to conducting follow-up interviews about Marshall Webb’s life, the family donated to the UK Archives Webb’s photographs as well as papers related to Webb, his life and his service as well as more than 80 poems that he had written about the war.
https://exploreuk.uky.edu/fa/findingaid/?id=xt7dfn10q805
This story is considered by Boyd to be a great example of the importance of oral history and archives in the digital age. “It is a brilliant example of why we do what we do over here and why these oral histories matter,” Boyd said.
Doug and Giovanni have managed to stay in touch and the two plan to get together in Tremensuoli at the start of next year. That too should be a story worth saving.
You can access the full Marshall Webb interview below:
https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt759z90c519
The Marshall Webb interview is also featured in an episode of the Nunn Center’s podcast series, The Wisdom Project:
https://thewisdomproject.libsyn.com/website/006-the-writing-on-the-wall-an-american-soldier-in-italy
