Leaving the Burned Bridge, we move South to tour Paestum and the Salerno Landing Beaches.

From the ridge at the Burned Bridge, Monte Soprano held artillery spotting positions which directed every round of enemy fire on the advancing Allied troops. In the foothills below, the 36th division fought in the hills to secure the critical towns of Altavilla and Albanella.
Green Beach at Paestum, looking North towerd the British landing zone. Beyond the distant mountains lies Pompei and Naples. The capture of the Port of Naples was critical to provide a deep-water port to supply our troops as they marched North to Rome. Two landing beaches were considered, the Volturno plain just North of Naples and Salerno just South. Salerno was chosen because of its hydrology, the seabed drops off rapidly, allowing transports and warships to gain closer access to the beach. The enemy set up numerous machine gun nests, mortar pits and minefields in the bluffs above the beach to impede the initial assaults. Vicious fighting to reduce the beach defenses required individual initiative amid the general chaos of the landing. Although the "Texas Division" had not seen prior combat, they rose to the task. Small units got ashore, organized and took on enemy positions one by one.
Another view of Green Beach looking North toward the distant town of Salerno. Out of view to the left, on hill 140 a concentration of enemy tanks was spotted. The guns of the Cruiser Philadelphia were requested to neutralize the enemy force. My ham radio friend Mac was standing his watch in the radio room of the cruiser when the call came in. The Philadelphia opened up with her six-inch guns and destroyed 7 of the tanks, routing the rest of the force, opening the way for the 142nd Infantry to cross highway 18 and take the hill on D-Day. At the end of September, the Third Infantry Division finally landed on the beaches to the North, near Battipaglia. With them, now a hardened veteran, dad's cousin Sidney I. Heistein came ashore. He would live another 20 days.
Looking directly inland from the beach. Beyond us is Monte Soprano, Capaccio and Monte Sottane. The foothills below these mountains were the objective of the 36th Division's "Walk in the Sun" on 9 September 1943.
Yellow Beach looking South. Down the coast, Agropoli can be seen. The bluffs, containing the enemy beach defenses, can be clearly seen just beyond the murderous open stretch of beach.
In a small park just beyond Yellow Beach stands the memorial to the 36th Division.

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