Stories from a Brazilian soldier

Article in homage to Mr. Mario Ferroni and all Brazilian ex-combatants in the Second World War.

World War II, though far from Brazilian soil, profoundly touched the lives of many Brazilians who were called to fight on foreign lands. Mario Ferroni, a soldier in the Brazilian Expeditionary Force (FEB), was one such man. His war memories reveal a scene of fear, sacrifice, and pain, experiences that shaped the rest of his life. Ferroni passed away in August 2023, but his testimony remains a powerful reflection of the harsh realities faced by Brazilian soldiers.

Ferroni was called to war in 1944. At just 24 years old, he faced the difficult task of informing his family about his imminent departure to the battlefields in Europe. “Going to war was a death sentence,” he said. His mother’s silent and painful farewell became a symbol of the uncertainty that marked the soldiers’ fate. With a Sacred Heart of Mary medal around his neck, he embarked on a journey that would change his life forever.

The Atlantic crossing was just the beginning. Aboard the ship that would take him to Italy, Ferroni described the constant fear of enemy attacks. “I felt the ship sway over the waters and was very scared, as I imagined the enemies might be taking advantage of the night to attack us,” he recounted. At dawn, the temporary relief: the sight of Guanabara Bay and the crowd that, from afar, still waved goodbye to the departing soldiers.

After twenty days at sea, Ferroni disembarked at the Port of Naples. The conditions into which the soldiers were thrust were harsh, and he soon faced the rigors of the Italian winter and the relentless fire of the Germans. At Monte Castelo, the site of one of the FEB’s most significant battles, Ferroni witnessed the brutal realities of war. “My company had its first dead and wounded. The Germans were very well entrenched,” he recalled. The battle, fought under inhuman conditions, was marked by extreme cold and strategic failures that resulted in painful losses.

Ferroni carried vivid memories of his comrades’ suffering. One particular scene deeply marked his journey. At Monte Castelo, during a German attack, a young Brazilian soldier was mortally wounded and, in his final moments, called for his mother. “That scene touched me deeply,” Ferroni said. “I realized how sad it was to die far from family.”

The following months were filled with constant struggle. During a Christmas night, Ferroni and his platoon improvised a Christmas tree in the midst of the battlefield. “We decorated it with chocolate and candies and spent the night singing and telling stories as if nothing bad could happen. Unforgettable,” he remembered. Yet, reality always returned. Dangerous night patrols, unexpected explosions, and biting cold made each day a battle for survival.

When the war finally ended, Ferroni returned to Brazil, but the impact of the horrors he witnessed did not dissipate easily. Upon returning to his accommodation in Rio de Janeiro, he found the empty beds of the friends who had been left behind. “Many friends stayed in the Pistoia Cemetery, others were maimed, and still others went mad. Not everyone could endure such pain,” he said, reflecting on the losses the war imposed on his comrades.

Ferroni’s experience as a soldier in World War II was not just a test of physical courage but also a test of mental endurance. He faced the terror of combat, saw death up close, and returned home with invisible scars that would accompany him for the rest of his life. Despite this, Mario Ferroni found a way to move forward, building a life of peace and simplicity after the years of conflict.

His story is a reminder of the many tales of sacrifice and courage that marked Brazil’s participation in World War II. For Ferroni, the war was an experience that profoundly transformed his worldview, and his memories provide a powerful testimony to the grim realities faced by Brazilian soldiers on foreign soil.

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