Bleeding Before Rome -1

The bombers began to bleed their heavy tears of death from 20,000 feet above the breathless battlefield, B-17 Flying Fortress formations moving with apocalyptic aplomb the shadows of high metal crosses by the hundreds rippling along the rugged roman earth bringing a crescending growl and the blind bomb, defenders of the Gustav Line sat low in concealed holes waiting for hell smelling the sounds of a rushing scorch, feeling the percussion of irrevocable panic for in these ungodly moments life was no longer theirs to expect, either obliteration into wet dust or resurrection into ruthless warfare would be the soldier's legacy, Allied forces on the outskirts of this unbridled bombardment experienced a surreal sympathy for the entrenched enemy, every explosive burst shocked their souls one step further into this war's smoldering agony where victory's luster looked more and more like a reflection of burning insanity, the American 5th Army and British 8th shared combat and confused humanity together from Syracuse to the beaches of Salerno saddling the spine of Italy's mountainous spikes treking northwards into the Nazi winter hinterlands, Britain's Commonwealth regiments were cast from territories vast and volatile, New Zealand Irish Scots, Indian Punjabi, and Gurkha mountaineers from Himalayan Nepal, French Foreign Legions that adopted Moroccan daggers and Algerian amorality, this was the Second Front of strategic slaughter that Churchill and Stalin had barked for, the butcher's bill for Normandy's upcoming beachheads, the battle of Kursk in the East in '43 nearly broke the Russian Bear this Italian theater was a desperate spear, Monte Cassino's 6th century Benedictine Abbey was more than a fort of Christian faith it was a fortress overseeing Highway 6 the road to Rome and the Devil's fist, walls of solid bone masonry 10 feet thick having heights of 150 feet on a peak 1,800 feet tall, from this colossal structure atop a mountain German artillery spotters could pinpoint and pummel Allied troop movements with immediate precision while machine gunners, Nebelwerfers and mortar crews would be enabled to effectuate their destruction efficiently, international law forbade the use or assault by military means of this historic landmark, it was organic history frescos of Genesis, an alter to God by Michelangelo woodwork of Medieval work ethic porticos inspired by the Pax Romana and a library of genius groomed by intellectual love - J.A.B.