CHAMBERSBURG – On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Franklin County Visitors Bureau will host two special showings of “Fedeltà. Soldier. Prisoner,” the Stephen Mancini Productions documentary of repatriated Italian POWs housed at Letterkenny Depot during World War II.
“Fedeltà. Soldier. Prisoner” will be shown following the Chambersburg Veteran’s Day Parade at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Room of the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center. The second showing begins at 1:30 p.m. Both shows are free. In addition to the documentary, the World War II Italian Prisoners of War Experience is on display at the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center.
The Stephen Mancini documentary premiered at the Capitol Theatre on Sept. 6 to an audience of more than 700 people. Later in the month, “Fedeltà. Soldier. Prisoner” had its Italian premiere in Milan and Rome.
“Fedeltà. Soldier. Prisoner” chronicles an inspirational story of men at war, their capture, their repatriations and their discovery of friendship in south central Pennsylvania. Captured as prisoners of war, these men later swore allegiance to the Allies. Letterkenny Depot housed 1,250 of these men in a service unit, later formed as the 321st Quartermaster Battalion.
Arriving in May 1944, 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.
A lasting artifact of the Italian POWs’ time at Letterkenny Depot is the Letterkenny Chapel. Using the materials from the farmhouses and barns razed to build the Letterkenny Depot, the 321st Quartermaster Battalion built the chapel. The men found purpose in building the chapel, and it eased their longing for family and home.
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 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. The Letterkenny Historic Chapel & Franklin County Veterans Memorial Park non-profit maintains both the historic church and the park. To learn more about the site or to donate to its preservation, visit www..letterkennychapel.org.
