Fellow Rotarian Dick Allison, author of Begging for Chocolates; A Story of World War II Italy, was the featured speaker at the Wednesday, Jan. 24, evening meeting of Rotary of Grosse Pointe at The War Memorial. Dick and his wife, Susan, were welcomed by President John Maliszewski.
Dick’s second book on World War II, Begging for Chocolates focuses on the U.S. forces fighting in Italy (the “Forgotten Front”) in 1944-45. He started his research years ago when he finally went through his father’s belongings and read letters from his time in the army. Through his father’s letters, diaries, and poems, along with those of three other soldiers, he provided insight on what was happening in Italy at that time.
The first thing Dick noticed was how censored the letters were. They couldn’t provide details about locations or the names of any officers. He also noted an innocence and humor found in many of them, including one soldier’s attempt to date an Italian girl.
It was apparent that the writing of this book was a labor of love for Dick.
Photo by George R. McMullen Jr.