U.S. Fifth Army photographers, Martin G. Brooks, left and Sam Spirito, right, of the 196^th Signal Photo Company enjoy a pleasant day of sightseeing in Venice, Italy onboard a gondola in an official U.S. Army photo dated May 1, 1945.

Don describes the scene. “Upon arrival in Venice we were stopped by the British Red Caps (military police). When they saw our passes said “By Command of Field Marshal Alexander” they couldn’t get us on our way any faster. We lunched at the Ristorante Cavaletto just off the Piazzo San Marco in the company of British officers.”

A second close-up color photograph taken that same day also taken by Wiedenmayer captures Burke, center, with Martin Brooks at left, Burke O’Connell and Sam Spirito, right.

Photos by Donald Wiedenmayer, 196^th Signal Photo Company, May 1, 1945

© The Last Farewell - A journey of the heart

By Edmund Burke O'Connell and co-authors Julie Whitman Jones and Thomas J. Sullivan, Jr.

email the authors: the_last_farewell@mail.com