Melfe, Michele

Michele Melfe was born March 1, 1922 in Caltanissetta, Sicily. He grew up in a big family in this country town, where he bicycled and played soccer and attended school up to 3rd grade. Benito Mussolini was dictator of Italy, and Michele was a member of a youth organization. At the time though, the war was far away from Caltanissetta. Michele joined the Italian Army as did two of his brothers. In the Railroad Engineers Unit, Michele built bridges and provided tactical support.  In 1942, he was deployed to the Russian front for several months; the train was moving supplies and providing protection from allied aircraft. Michele recalls here an episode of Russian children being shot by an unknown perpetrator, where he was helpless to respond, something that still haunts him today. Michele returned to Sicily later in 1942, where he experienced Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. He became a POW at the hands of the Allies and was sent to a camp in Algeria for a year. He cooperated in order to receive better treatment. When the war ended, Michele said there were celebrations. Upon his repatriation his mother hugged him for half an hour. After the war, Michele opted to join the Carabinieri (Italian Police): It was steady employment with income. He served overseas for part of this; he was deployed to Somalia when it was an Italian protectorate. Michele married in 1964, and he and his wife raised their family and found their place in the postwar world. Michele was interviewed by Crestwood students via zoom in October 2025; we thank Federico Moscuzza for setting this up and for providing translation. Please note: this interview is in Italian, with translations into English provided after each of Michele’s thoughts.