GEORGE SELLAROLE, JR.
Army PFC
Field Artillery

This is George Sellarole, Jr.’s personal log, which he kept a record in from Oct. 26, 1942 to May 26, 1944.  George Sellarole, Jr. served from April 1, 1941, which is before
Pearl Harbor, until September 22, 1945 which was only 11 days after the Japanese surrender.  He served the entire war from the invasion of Morroco through the
African Campaign, the invasion of Sicily, the invasion of Casino, then Anzio, and the rest of the Italian campaign into southern France, finally ending in Hidelburgh, Germany.

When I obtained this diary in August of 2005, George Sellarole, Jr. told me he wanted to just jot down notes on a pad of what he went through.  He told me they were told not to do this for reasons of capture because the enemy could use it for interrogation purposes and information.  George Sellarole, Jr. kept it anyway as many other soldiers had also, and he has left us a small piece of history of a soldier’s story.

He wrote this diary on a very small note pad and just briefly commented on each day or every few days of what had transpired.  I (Bob Meli) am attempting to copy the diary for clarity.  It is in George Sellarole, Jr.’s personal handwriting, which is very small, and on paper that had been through a lot, along with him, who had been through a lot, some pages torn others wrinkled or maybe had been wet, pen changes and maybe pencils used.  I will copy this to the best of my ability because I am copying a copy of the original note pad.  We have the original copy on our web site and you can compare my interpretation of what he wrote with the original.

            To read a diary from a soldier in real time while it is happening is special, and I will do my best to be as accurate as possible.  To read this clearly is well worth the effort to understand a soldier’s story.

Let us never forget George Sellarole Jr., a soldier’s sacrifice, as it unfolds from
his diary.

Written by
Bob Meli
April 28, 2013

IMPORTANT NOTE:
All writing in red or blue are my notes and comments, and not part of
George Sellarole, Jr.’s diary.