European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

One group took care of political campaigning with the population to gain support,

while we went on doing our usual tasks.

On the 25th of April I was at the brigade headquarters. I was told to get my unit ready to go back.

We had all been waiting impatiently for that moment.

I had been in the mountains for nine months, away from my family.

I had taught a woman who worked in a restaurant in Vetto the way to my house.

Once a week, when she went to Reggio to buy supplies, she’d bring me news about my family and give them mine.

I was at the end of my strength.

It was because of the way we lived, the shortage of food, the lack of vitamins.

My legs hurt so much that before I went somewhere, I had to warm up like horses do before they run.

I had a bad inflammation of the gums.

Since we didn’t have anything else, the doctor taught us to put a few milligrams

of verdigris in the water and rinse our mouth with that to disinfect.

After a while a medical student joined us. He gave some vitamin injections to a few of us.

The poor girls who did cried desperately because of the pain (he had to give the shots into their backs).

That was the way we were living. We were really looking forward to go back home.

When they gave me the news I was in Gottano.

I sat on a rock just outside town and could see the mountains and woods all around.

I recalled all my memories of the partisan struggle

and suddenly was hit by sadness. Not because I was leaving that place,