Felix J. Polito was born in Franklin, Louisiana in 1922. He lived there until he was 19 years old. In January 1942, he moved to New Orleans to work for Delta Shipyard. It was right after the war broke out. He came from a family of 11 siblings. There were five brothers and six sisters who lived on the family farm. They all left home one by one. Polito was the second to last to leave. He worked for Delta until he was drafted in November 1942. He was sent to infantry training at Camp Maxey, Texas. It was hot and disgusting. He wanted to get out of there so bad that when volunteers were sought for paratroopers with the 1st Special Services, he wanted to join them. Of the 50 who volunteered, he was one of only ten men who were accepted. He was sent to train in Burlington, Vermont. He was taught to be a paratrooper and also ran through amphibious training. His outfit was to be a spearhead for any army group going into action. They went on night time maneuvers where they would hike 30 miles overnight. While they were in combat, he was on a night mission where the men were ordered not to take any prisoners. The timing was after Mussolini's collapse in Italy and Hitler's troops took over. [Annotator's Note: after the capture of Sicily, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was forced out of power. Rather than give up the Italian peninsula, German dictator Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to fill the void left by surrendering Italians.] Polito's outfit [Annotator's Note: Company 6, 2nd Regiment, 1st Special Service Force] was ordered to take a series of enemy machine gun positions. The Colonel told Polito to talk to the Italians and see if their German counterparts would surrender [Annotator's Note: Polito is fluent in Italian]. Polito was to head the group to try to talk the enemy into giving up. They refused to surrender so Polito and his platoon assaulted the position and cleared three machine gun nests. It took the whole night. The next morning there were three enemy prisoners. When Polito asked the Colonel what he should do with them, he was told to get rid of them. Polito could not do it. He requested the other men shoot the enemy captives. The prisoners were killed. Polito was chosen to lead the mission because he could talk to the Italians. He was the point man for the group. That was when they took the picture [Annotator's Note: there is no further explanation of what picture he makes reference to here]. Polito learned from his sergeant that the Colonel wanted to talk to him. Polito was apprehensive, but he went to see the senior officer. To his surprise, the officer said that he, Polito, was going to be recommended for the Silver Star. Polito asked why he was being singled out when all the other men contributed equally to the success. No explanation was provided. They were about ten miles from Rome. They went on patrol that night. The next morning while they were bivouacked on a farm, they observed American troops advancing through a valley. The Germans began firing their 88s [Annotator's Note: multi-purpose German 88mm artillery guns] and Polito was hit. He went to get medical treatment and ended up staying in several convalescent hospitals for nine months. The recommendation for the Silver Star decoration never went completely through for whatever reason. Polito stayed in a hospital in Florence, Italy then returned back to the states. He stayed in various hospitals stateside until November 1944. He was in Daytona Beach, Florida in a hospital when he was sent home for Christmas leave. When he returned, he was discharged on 2 January 1945. He could not understand why they did not discharge him before he went home instead of making him return to Daytona. Polito was wounded in the buttocks. Half of his backside had to be removed. An Italian doctor was going to try to graft it but it was too damaged. He closed it up, and it turned out for the best. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Polito was driving a sugar cane truck on a plantation. He had the radio on and heard the announcement. It was devastating. It was 7 December, and he left home on 2 January [Annotator's Note: 1942].

Felix Polito was drafted into the Army in November 1942. He went to Camp Maxey for his infantry training and was there for two or three months. The heat was so terrible that Polito was determined to leave the location. When volunteers were sought for a special unit, he applied and was accepted. In January or February 1943, he became a member of the 1st Special Service Force which had some of the roughest training in the United States military. The outfit was to be half American and half Canadian. They had the arrowhead as their insignia. The training began in Helena, Montana with ski exercises. Polito missed that segment. He joined up with the Force in Burlington, Vermont. He took three or four jumps [Annotator's Note: paratrooper jumps] at 1,200 feet. There were hard landings after jumping out of the aircraft. He also had to walk 30 miles at night. He participated in amphibious landing simulations. He also trained in martial arts. He had so much training that, even though he was not a large man, he could throw a 200 pound man over his shoulder. The outfit was trained to lead other units in combat.

Felix Polito participated in the Battle at Anzio. The 101st went in and had 165 men but only 5 or 6 survived. They were surrounded and slaughtered before Polito and the Force relieved them. The Force took it over in five days. They were caught in a minefield. They were forced to crawl through the field after one of the soldiers stepped on a mine and blew his foot off. The soldier was near Polito. The sergeant asked who was close to Pullum [Annotator's Note: unsure of spelling]. Polito told the sergeant that he was the closest. The sergeant ordered Polito to move forward and aid the wounded man. By crawling on his stomach in the pathway left by the person in front of him, Polito avoided hitting mines. After reaching the soldier, Polito put him on his back and crawled back to the waiting medics. Afterward, he returned to his forward position and crawled the remaining distance through the minefield successfully. His outfit moved ahead and slaughtered the enemy at Anzio beachhead. Polito was assigned to Company 6, 2nd Regiment, 1st Special Service Force. There have been books written about the exploits of the Force. Polito lost his copy in the flood. Polito was trained on multiple weapons as a member of the Force. Each member had to be able to handle any weapon so they could pick up a wounded man's firearm and readily use it. They were trained to spearhead attacks. They had to be familiar with the infantry guns used by the enemy so they could use them if need be. Polito carried an M1 rifle [Annotator's Note: .30 caliber M1 semi-automatic rifle, also referred to as the M1 Garand], but he could use a submachine gun or a bazooka. The men took turns using various weapons. They were one of the only Army units that also carried a Johnson Light Machine Gun. They referred to it as the "Johnny Gun." The M1 carbine was also a standard weapon used. The Force took amphibious training using rubber boats instead of the large landing crafts.

Felix Polito was with the Force [Annotator's Note: 1st Special Service Force] when it was deployed to retake Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. They were scheduled to make a night jump on the island, but it was called off because the enemy had abandoned it. The Force was also scheduled to jump in Sicily but that was waved off when so many paratroopers turned into casualties before they jumped. The earlier paratroopers either landed in the wrong place or were wounded or killed. They were murdered. The weather at Kiska was so bad that a parachute jump there would have been a disaster. When the Force arrived, the weather turned out much better. Those who had arrived beforehand said the sun coming out was due to the arrival of the Force. It was nasty weather with mud up to the ankles. It was cold and foggy. It is difficult for Polito to review the memories of what happened. It was so depressing.

Felix Polito has reached the point in his life where he wants to let his dependants know what he did in the war. Gail asked him why he [Annotator's Note: the term "parrain" is used which is the Cajun term for godfather] wants to talk about it. When Polito first returned home, he had a rough time sleeping. He had to get separate beds for him and his wife. He had bad dreams and nocturnal fights ensued because of his memories. He would punch his wife while he was asleep before he got dual beds. Being a strong willed person, he was able to eventually cope with the past. He managed to let things roll off his shoulders. He does not take everything for granted. He tried to come to terms with the past and forget about the events. He has gone to the VA [Annotator's Note: Veterans Administration] to visit friends in the hospital. They urged him not to go to the hospital because of their poor treatment. Polito never used the G.I. Bill either. When the new VA hospital was built [Annotator's Note: in New Orleans, Louisiana], it looked like a hotel. They have treated Polito very well. He is complimentary of their efforts to help him. The old hospital had no one to guide the personnel. The VA had to change, and they did. At 30 days wait time, an appointment to see a doctor took too long. That killed some people as a result.

Felix Polito returned to the United States after the Kiska campaign. He was sent to Burlington, Vermont and was given a short liberty. He returned home during that liberty. He rode all across the country on trains during his service. It was quite an experience for a young man. He really enjoyed his life despite some mistakes. He lost one son at 24 years of age. Polito has two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He has been blessed. He married in 1946 after his discharge in 1945. On the way to Italy, he stopped in North Africa. It is hard for Polito to remember names, but they eventually come to him.

Felix Polito and the Force [Annotator's Note: 1st Special Service Force] became famous for climbing Monte la Difensa in Italy. It was one of the tallest mountains in the country. The Germans were listening in to the communications between the Americans. The Colonel appointed Polito to be his runner to carry commands between the platoons. Polito was surprised by his selection, but he knew he had to do it. He moved all over the place and was rarely in a foxhole. The 2nd Regiment was selected to spearhead the assault on la Difensa. It was terrible climbing the precipice. It was purported to be the highest mountain in Italy. The Force made it to the top under fire. After reaching the peak, the outfit went to Florence for convalescence and then on to Anzio. Before leaving the area, they assaulted a hill next to la Difensa and met the British. The Germans were good soldiers, but the Americans were better. The enemy did not care who they killed. The American training helped them get the best of the situation. Seeing and walking over dead bodies is difficult and Polito has done so. It made an impression on him as a 22 year old young man. He thanks God that he came back. He was wounded, but he made it back.

Felix Polito and the 1st Special Service Force were part of the breakout from Anzio beachhead. They were about ten miles from Rome when Polito was wounded. He had wanted to see Rome badly but would not make it that far. The Germans were firing 88s [Annotator's Note: multi-purpose 88mm artillery guns] from the hills into the valley where the Americans were. They had the range on the troops below them. Polito ponders why American intelligence did not know the location of the enemy artillery. He never saw an 88, but he sure knew the sound of the incoming round [Annotator's Note: The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana has an 88mm gun on display in the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion]. It was hell. Polito and his outfit [Annotator's Note: Company 6, 2nd Regiment, 1st Special Service Force] were resting at a farm when he was hit. Since he loved to cook, he had previously told some men that he would prepare a meal for them. Vegetables and chicken were gathered and Polito made a chicken stew for the men. They were relaxing under the olive trees and resting before taking off that night. After the meal, the 88s fired on them. Before Polito reached his foxhole, he was hit. Everyone else took off for Rome that night. Polito's command of the Italian language was used on occasion by his officers to communicate with the enemy. On one occasion, his unit took over three machine gun nests. They were not allowed to take any prisoners. There is a photograph of one of the machine guns they captured. Some of Polito's family lived in Italy at the time, but, not knowing the exact location, he never met up with them.

Felix Polito was in the hospital when the 1st Special Service Force was disbanded. It was about six months before the war ended. Polito was discharged in January 1945 which was a month after the end of the Force. [Annotator's Note: The remaining Americans in the 1st Special Service Force went into the 474th Infantry Regiment and ended up in Norway.] Polito was wounded in April 1944. He could not keep in contact with anyone in his outfit because he was moving through multiple hospitals in the United States. He finally ended up in Daytona Beach and that was where he was discharged on 2 January 1945. He loved serving in the Force because it was like being in the infantry but there was special training involved. He enjoyed what he was doing. The Germans referred to them as the "Devil's Brigade." The members of the unit were all volunteers. Only a few were selected to be part of the Force. Polito's command of the Italian language likely was one determinant in his selection.

Felix Polito heard about the end of the war in Europe after his discharge [Annotator's Note: He was discharged in January 1945 after being wounded in Italy in April 1944 and convalescing in several hospitals in the United States]. He was in New Orleans when the news was announced. He doubted whether he wanted to get into the crowds in the city. He now feels he maybe should have done so. He does not remember the surrender of the Japanese. He never used the G.I. Bill or veterans' services until recently when he used the local VA [Annotator's Note: Veterans Administration] hospital. He has positive feelings about the hospital and its efficiency. He had little difficulty transitioning back to civilian life after the military. He took on several different types of jobs and moved on with his life. He retired at 57 in 1980 and started playing the stock market. His most memorable experience of the war had to be the Anzio beachhead. He will never forget taking it from the Germans in five days. People could not believe that could happen. Going up Mount la Defensa was incredible since the Germans never anticipated that could be done. The Force [Annotator's Note: 1st Special Service Force] was also going to take Monte Cassino, but others were ultimately assigned to do so. Polito fought in World War 2 because he loved his country. He had a job to do, and he did it like everyone else. He had to make the best of it. The war changed his life by making him a better person. He realized how lucky he was to survive the fighting. He thanks God everyday for that. He was religious as a Catholic before and after the war. He prays and thanks the Lord for the good things he has going with his health. People cannot believe he is in such good shape for being over 90 years of age. Polito just wishes he could feel better. Polito's World War 2 service makes him ponder how much was gained looking at what is occurring today. America won victories over the Japanese and the Germans. The country can pull together and fight as one. That is not found in other countries. Polito hopes other veterans who served stay healthy. It is important to continue to teach the history of the war. The National WWII Museum is a good institution to carry on that information. Polito is impressed with what he has seen at the Museum. Nothing better could have been done.