The Years of the U.S. Army Occupation of Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, (1944 - 1947).

For the version of this video revisioned according to the corrections listed below, see at    • The Years of the U.S.  Army Occupation of ...   .
The U.S. 5th Army of Gen. Mark Clark, entered in Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, on July19, 1944 (   • U.S.  5th Army near and  in Leghorn (Livor...   ), found a city full of rubble.  Given the strategic and logistical importance of the port of Leghorn for the advancement of the front towards Northern Italy, the Americans provided immediately to make it operational again as soon as possible, freeing it from rubble, including neighboring areas, and from ships that had been sunk by the retreating Germans to prevent access, removing the mines where it was to do, removing the rubble from the industrial areas and the city, installing in the various buildings and military barracks, setting up a hospital for the soldiers near the city (at Calambrone).
In the port ships began to arrive landing soldiers, armaments, means and materials necessary for the advancement of the front, that were transferred to the base created in the pine forest of Tombolo, located North of Leghorn.
In the city, among other things, military ceremonies were organized, sports competitions (    • Joe Louis : Some boxing exhibitions in Ita...   ), leisure centers
(    • The American Red Cross Clubs in Leghorn, I...   ) and shows for the soldiers
(    • Frank Sinatra Concert in Livorno (Leghorn)...   ) , (    • Ella Fitzgerald Concert at Leghorn, Italy,...   ) ,
(    • Marlene Dietrich show at Leghorn, Italy, d...   ) .
Gen. Dwight Eisenhower also came to Leghorn to confer with Gen. Mark Clark and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on a visit to the harbor.
The military occupation of Leghorn ended on December 14, 1947, day when the last American troops embarked in port.
In this video I have tried to document that period bringing together in an organic way some more or less known photographs and images taken from news films of the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force, accompanying these with short pieces of tunes of the time, short to avoid copyright infringements .
The video tunes are:
01:10 - ''Solitude'' (Duke Ellington-Eddie De Lange-1934) - Duke
Ellington And His Orchestra – Rec. Chicago Jan. 10, 1934 -
Victor, 24755 - Mx. 80149 – Take 1
02:04 - ''I'll Never Smile Again'' (Ruth Lowe-1940) -Tommy
Dorsey and His Orchestra - voc. Frank Sinatra –
Rec. 1940- Victor 26628-A
02:59 - ''Manhattan'' (Lorenz Hart-Richard Rodgers-1925) -
voc. Lee Wiley – Rec. 1951.
03:58 - ''National Emblem March'' (Edwin Eugene Bagly-1906) -
performed by the USAF Heritage of America Band .
05:00 - ''Stars and Stripes Forever'' ( John Philip Sousa-1897).
06:03 - ''Stompin' At The Savoy'' (Sampson-Goodman-Chick
Webb-1934) Benny Goodman and His Orchestra –
Rec. Chicago Jan. 24, 1936 –Victor 25247 - Mx. 96568 – Take1
07:05 - ''The Washington Post March '' (John Philip Suosa-1889)-
performed by ''The President's Own' US Marine Band''.

(Corrections: the correct date of the photo at 01:11 is ''before WWII Bombings (June 1940)'',and not 1944, of the photo at 02:53 is 1944-1945, and not 1943-1944, of the photo at 03:01 is 1944-1945, and not 1944-1947, of the photo at 03:15 is 1944-1945, and not 1944-1947, and of that at 07:05 is June 22, 1946 and not July 22, 1946).
(Correct description of photos at:
02:38 The correct venue is a beach near Nettuno, Roma, Febr. 6, 1944 and not Leghorn.
03:00 Entrance of PWE (Political War Executive) Ordinance Compound in Livorno 1944-1945 and not Military Barracks in ''Marconi'' avenue 1944-1947.
04:44 The correct venue is S. Rossore, near and west of Pisa and not Tombolo.
04:53 The correct venue is S. Rossore, near and west of Pisa and not Tombolo.
05:38 : Gen. Eisenower and not Eisenover; not in Leghorn 1944-1945, but near the Mignano Gap, Dec. 1943
05:44 Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, Aug. 19, 1944: Winston Churchill (seated first from the left), coming back from the north of Leghorn Harbor accompanied during the visit to the harbor by Gen. Mark Clark (seated third from the left), signs the log-book.
05:49 Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, Aug. 19, 1944: Winston Churchill greets before embarking and visiting the Leghorn harbor .
05:53 Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, Aug. 19, 1944: Winston Churchill (in the foreground) is going towards the boat to embark and to visit the Leghorn Harbor.
05:58 Leghorn (Livorno), Italy, Aug. 19, 1944: Winston Churchill, on board, leaves to visit the Leghorn Harbor).

For other videos on Leghorn during WWII see list at:
   • Videos on Leghorn  (Livorno) and Province,...   .

The images, the photographs, the recordings in this video are more then 50 years old. Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "FAIR USE" .
The intent of this video is for non profit Historic Preservation, Education.