WWII Mountain Memories:
Home Front to the Frontline
Testimonies of WWII Veterans and Civilians from Western North Carolina

During World War Two Frank Edwin found that fate had some very interesting experiences in store for him. He joined the Army in December 1941 and eventually attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served in the Mediterranean theatre, never touching a weapon the whole time he was in the military. As a medic he was well trained in basic life saving skills but a lack of essential medicines, such as antibiotics, and the state of medicine in general meant that many wounded Americans died. He remembered that they just “patched up the wounded” as best they could. He also remembers that at times they found themselves behind enemy lines and treating enemy wounded. This they did with no hesitation as they felt that all the wounded were “war wounded” and deserved to be saved if they could.

In late 1942 and early 1943 he was in Alges, North Africa. Later he moved to Italy when the Allies invaded. In January 1944 his medical unit supported the U.S. 36^th Infantry Division in its attack across the Rapido River. This was the battle in which future Senator Bob Dole was seriously wounded but Edwin does not remember if he treated him or not. It was very hectic and Edwin recalled that “we just moved from one man to the next” while treating the wounded.

After the Rapido River attack failed the Allied offensive was halted in front Monte Cassino, a key fortified position the Germans were using as part of the Gustav Line. It was during the battle for Monte Cassino that Edwin was wounded and that his experience in World War Two took a drastic turn. He and another medic were evacuating a wounded man on a wooden litter when a German high explosive rifle grenade landed under the litter. Edwin was at the front of the litter and was shielded from the explosion by the body of the wounded man. The rear medic and the wounded man were blown to bits by the grenade but Edwin only received wounds on his legs and hands. He could only walk with difficulty and was sent back to Casserta, headquarters for General Mark Clark’s 5^th Army. While there he wrote articles for the Army newspaper, The Stars and Stripes. By June 1944 the Allies broke through the Gustav Line and had liberated Rome. Edwin was instructed to proceed to Rome and await further instructions. He waited in a hotel for 5 days without orders!

On the fifth day a Lieutenant Wathen appeared with orders that would change Edwin’s life. Lt. Wathen had orders to get Edwin and set up a program, The American Academy in Rome. This was an educational institution designed to introduce American soldiers to cultural experiences in Rome and, as Edwin says “too keep them out of the brothels!” After a few days Wathen disappeared and left Edwin in charge. Here he was a lowly Staff Sergeant completely in charge of a high profile, big budget operation!

Edwin quickly made the most of his fortunate situation. He arranged classes for G.I.s and, more importantly, arranged for transportation to take them around Rome to various cultural sites. His accessibility to transport was to pay off for Edwin in a way he couldn’t yet imagine. While running these classes he met Monsignor Rafa, superintendent of the schools in Rome. Edwin had scheduled himself to perform for the soldiers as part of the American courses and Mr. Rafa heard him sing. He was very impressed and introduced Edwin to Monsignor Montini, “a little man with a great big hat” as he recalled. This meeting was fortunate as Montini was an influential man in the Vatican and would later become Pope Paul VI. Montini was able to introduce Edwin to Pope Pius XII, the Pope at that time, and in fact Edwin and the Pope had lunch on three occasions!

Edwin had established himself as an accomplished singer and was asked by Monsignor Montini to sing at the November 1946 ceremony in which bishops were elevated to cardinals. He sang in Giuseppi Verdi’s Requiem. Later that year he was asked to sing on Rome Radio on Christmas Eve. The Vatican was so anxious for Edwin to perform that it obtained a piano for Rome Radio which at that time did not have one. Edwin sang Christmas carols in eight languages that night. He did not speak eight languages but found that he had “an ear for language” when singing. Many people remarked that he sounded like a native of whatever language he was singing in. Through his public appearances and performances at the Vatican he became known to the opera community in Rome. Soon he was hired by the director of the opera.

This was not all of the good fortune that awaited Edwin. Once the war in Europe was over in May 1945 many scholars from the United States returned to continue pre-war studies in archaeology, history, classics and other disciplines. The U.S. government directed that they be housed at the American Academy. This was a great arrangement for them since Edwin had already arranged transport for the soldiers at the academy. This was also good for Edwin because it gave him a chance to accompany these scholars on their studies. One day he was driving two scholars on their research trip and became involved in a debate between them. The debate concerned the meaning of writing on an Egyptian casket. He so impressed them with his knowledge of the writing that they asked Montini to facilitate his enrollment in the University of Rome’s Bible History program. What was unknown to the scholars was that Edwin had no knowledge of Egyptian, he had simply been trying to join in friendly conversation with them!

From the battlefields of North Africa and Italy Edwin now found himself in charge of a high profile, well-funded educational program for soldiers, at night occasionally singing for the opera and during the day studying in the crypts of the Vatican to earn an L.H.D (Dr. of Humane Letters) in Bible History. And all of this while still in uniform!

But fortune was not done smiling on Edwin quite yet. He completed the work for his Bible Study PhD but his faculty advisor refused to accept it because he didn’t feel that Edwin’s source Josephus was sufficiently credible. Edwin found himself stopped frustratingly short of his goal. While he was trying to resolve the impasse he was approached by Catholic priest with whom he was friends. This friend encouraged Edwin to study music with him at the St. Cecilia Academy in Rome. Edwin took up the challenge and ultimately earned a PhD in Music. In the meantime his faculty advisor was replaced by a professor who accepted his dissertation so Edwin was able to earn two PhDs, one in Music and one in Biblical History at the same time.

But still his good fortune was not over. In 1947, while still serving as a staff sergeant in the Army he was asked to perform at the first United Nations Cultural Relations Conference in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He found he was in good company with the representatives from other countries, including a ballet troupe from the Soviet Union and a symphony from England. In order to represent the United States, Edwin performed only American songs at the conference. After the conference Edwin then traveled and performed throughout the Balkans as a goodwill ambassador for the United States. He returned to Rome in time to be discharged from the Army. With his military obligation over had more time to devote to singing and began touring Italy with the Rome Philharmonic Orchestra performing Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte in its premiere tour.

He had one last chapter to his wartime story. A Jewish girl with whom he was friends was desperate to get her mother to the United States from Poland, which was then under the control of the Soviet Union. She suggested that they get engaged to make it easier for her mother to migrate to the U.S. Edwin wanted to help but had his reservations, he felt it was dangerous since while he was friends with the girl he had no wish to marry her! In the end he relented and he and the Jewish girl were engaged. They traveled back to the United Stated where they were joined by her mother and then called the engagement off.

Edwin was fond of his time in Italy. Conditions during and immediately after the war were chaotic. There were refugees everywhere and the physical damage to the country was great. However he notes that once the fighting was over the people were anxious to work towards a new and better future. He saw this embodied in the emphasis the Italians placed on restoring the Rome opera to its pre-war glory. At one point he found he was working with the former music minister from Benito Mussolini’s fascist government. Despite the fact that many fascists were executed by Italian non-fascist elements in the immediate aftermath many hid and survived. As enflamed anti-fascist passions eased they came out of hiding and were incorporated into the post-war Italian society. They had a variety of expertise that the new Italian government needed. So Edwin found himself working leading mall roles at the Rome opera with a man who was a member of the government Edwin had fought during the war. He appreciated the need to do this and praised the Italians for their ability to put their past behind them.

Edwin admits that being assigned to the American Academy in Rome was “a lucky fluke.” Indeed he is right, being assigned to the academy gave him resources and opportunities that might not have been available otherwise. He was smart enough to take advantage of the bounty that he was offered, receiving a great education and living experiences such as meeting a pope and future pope, singing at the Vatican and Rome Opera and representing the United States at a United Nations conference. Most people can only hope to have done just one of these things and Edwin got to do them all. His is truly an amazing story.

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