CHAMBERSBURG — A documentary about the experience of 1,250 Italian prisoners of war kept at Letterkenny Army Depot in World War II will be presented without charge from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Capitol Theatre.
The documentary by Stephen Mancini relates the POW experience in “Fedeltá. Soldier. Prisoner.”
Officials of the Franklin County Visitors Bureau said the documentary chronicles an inspirational story of men at war, their capture, their repatriations and their discovery of friendship in south central Pennsylvania. These men were captured as prisoners of war and then swore allegiance to America.
Letterkenny Depot housed 1,250 of these men in a service unit, later formed as the 321st Quartermaster Battalion. They spent 17 months at Letterkenny Depot until returning to Italy in October 1945 after an international agreement was reached. The documentary uses original archival documents and footage from the U.S. Army, the families and others associated with Italian Service Units to tell their story.
Since 2015, as the Franklin County Historic Letterkenny Chapel Committee formed and the Franklin County 11/30 Memorial & Veterans Trail came into being, the connection to the history of the Italian POWs and their families grew. In addition to the premiere of the documentary, the Franklin County Visitors Bureau is showcasing the Letterkenny Italian POW story in the lobby of the 11/30 Visitors Center. The exhibit opens Sept. 6 and will be available to view until Nov. 11.
Those interested are invited to preview the trailer here.
The History
Before America entered World War II, the U.S. military sought locations for ordinance depots to maintain, store and issue weapons, ammunition, combat vehicles, equipment and other military-needed materials. Letterkenny Township in Franklin County was selected because of its location along the Atlantic seaboard and its closeness to Washington, D.C. The depot required thousands of acres of farmland and displaced about 1,000 of Franklin County’s 70,000 residents, Visitors Bureau officials said.
Any discontentment about the acquisition ceased after the Dec. 7, 1941, strike on Pearl Harbor, officials said. Franklin County residents then wholeheartedly supported the depot, they explained. Less than a year later, the depot was an active part of America’s participation in the Allied effort.
By September 1943, Italy signed an armistice with the Allies, and Italian POWs agreed to sign an allegiance to the United States. In May 1944, 1,250 Italian soldiers came to Letterkenny Depot. They formed the 321st Quartermaster Battalion, helping to order, stock and ship military supplies and equipment to support the Allied efforts in the Pacific and Europe, according to the Visitors Bureau.
These men missed their homes and loved ones, officials noted, and it was a difficult time. They turned to their faith to guide them, seeking out the counsel of clergy, who suggested channeling the loneliness into beneficial tasks. Out of a melancholy and somber time when war encircled the world and thousands of miles separated the Italian service men from their families, a good and lasting accomplishment emerged. The soldiers helped to build the depot and a chapel. By using the materials from the farmhouses, barns, and other structures, the men incorporated elements of their homeland into the chapel and created a lasting artifact of a significant time in American and world history, Visitors Bureau officials said.
The Letterkenny Chapel is a prime representation of Italianate architecture with the characteristic square tower, quoined brickwork and curved arches above the windows and doors. Today, it is maintained by the United Churches of Chambersburg and is adjoined by the Franklin County Veterans and 9/11 Memorial Park. The chapel and park are the launching point of the Franklin County Military Trail of History.
Each year, four services are held at Letterkenny Chapel— Armed Forces and POW/MIA Day Service in May, the 9/11 Remembrance Service in September, Veterans Day Service in November and Christmas Eve Service in December.
In 1945, Letterkenny Chapel was dedicated by the Pope’s Ambassador to the United States to commemorate peace and reconciliation between Italy and the United States. For more than 35 years, it served as a military chapel for Letterkenny Army Depot. Today, the historic chapel serves as an ecumenical, interfaith and multicultural meeting place of fellowship and worship.
The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County and enjoy trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg and Waynesboro.
