The 36th Texas Division: From San Pietro Infine to the Rapido River – A Legacy of Sacrifice

In the winter of 1943-44, the men of the 36th Infantry Division, the Texas Division, faced one of the most grueling and heroic battles of World War II. At San Pietro Infine, they fought with relentless determination against entrenched German forces, enduring days of brutal combat in the cold, shattered landscape of the Liri Valley. Each street, each stone house became a battleground, where the Texans fought yard by yard, proving their resilience in the face of merciless opposition.

The horrors of this battle were captured in John Huston’s documentary, The Battle of San Pietro, a stark and unfiltered account of the price paid in blood by the young Texan soldiers. Walking through the ruins of San Pietro today, visitors step into a battlefield frozen in time—a medieval Pompeii, the only town in Italy left in ruins after the war and never rebuilt. The shattered walls and silent streets bear witness to the sacrifice made here, a haunting reminder of the battle’s intensity.

Among those who perished was Captain Henry Thomas Waskow, a beloved leader whose tragic death was immortalized by Ernie Pyle, one of America’s greatest war correspondents. In his famous article, The Death of Captain Waskow, Pyle captured the quiet sorrow of soldiers mourning their fallen leader, their hands trembling as they touched his lifeless body one last time. His words still echo through the ruins of San Pietro, a reminder of the human cost of war.

But the ordeal of the Texas Division did not end here. In January 1944, they faced the disastrous assault on the Rapido River, one of the most heartbreaking and controversial battles of the Italian campaign. Ordered to cross the icy waters under a storm of enemy fire, they advanced against impossible odds. Machine guns, artillery, and mortars rained death upon them, yet they pressed on with unwavering resolve. The assault turned into a massacre—hundreds were cut down, trapped in the current, or lost to the raging enemy fire. The river ran red with the blood of Texas boys, their sacrifice a tragic chapter in the fight for freedom.

Every time I accompany the sons and daughters of these veterans through the ruins of San Pietro, I see the weight of history in their eyes. San Pietro Infine is not just a place—it is a monument to bravery, sacrifice, and remembrance. Here, in this ghost town, the voices of the past still whisper, ensuring that the courage of the 36th Texas Division will never be forgotten.