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Martin Adler, a 96-year-old American soldier in World War II, fulfilled his dream by finding the three Italian girls he nearly killed in 1944 during a military operation after posting an old photo on a veterans website.
On Sunday night, 76 years later, Martin, who lives in Florida, spoke with Bruno, Maffalda and Juliana Naldi, who were then 7, 6 and 3 years old respectively when they met during World War II. War in the town of Monterencio (near Bolonia).
“It is a beautiful story that has attracted a lot of interest,” said Italian Matteo Inserti, who has published many books on such World War II meetings.
He posted the search for the former US soldier on his Facebook page last Thursday. And three days later, the brothers were talking to the veteran on the phone from a small town not far from his childhood town.
The soldier and the incredible story
In an interview with the soldier’s daughter and this Italian writer, Martin Adler recalls in great detail that fall of 1944 when he was with another soldier, John Bronski: “There was a deathly silence, we did not know if the Germans had really withdrawn or if we they were secretly waiting to catch us. “
“We went into the house. There was a big basket with strange noises coming from.” John and I already had our finger on the trigger ready to fire, it could have been Germans, “he said.
“Bambini, bambini!” (Children, children) suddenly shouted an Italian mother. Then her three children came out of the basket.
The soldier died on the spot taking a photo with the three children. Earlier, their mother asked them to wear their best clothes.
“It was the happiest moment of my life after this hellish war,” said Martin Adler, whose daughter Russell first posted the old photo on an American veterans website in hopes of locating the children, although her father did not. he remembered the exact city.
Adler’s call was broadcast in Italy and published in local newspapers on Saturday.
“The sweater I’m wearing in the photo was made by my mother. When I saw the photo, I immediately said ‘I am’,” said Bruno, the oldest of the three brothers, now 83, in an interview with the television network. Italian TG1. .
“Ciao bambini!” (Hi guys) Martin Adler yelled into the phone on Sunday. “I am Maffalda,” replied the 82-year-old woman wearing a mask from the other end of the line.
“It seems to me that I can still see this basket in front of me,” said the youngest of the three brothers, Juliana, now 79 years old.
Martin Adler landed in Naples in March 1944 and fought in Italy until 1945.
