Michael Haritan

Michael Haritan was a Dogface soldier during WW II.  He was only 20 years old when he went into the Army, serving with the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division from January 14, 1943 to December 11, 1945.  Landing in North Africa, he slogged up the Italian peninsula and endured some of the most horrific combat of the war.  Allied control over southern Italy was crucial, but it came at a long, slow, exacting price as Messina, Salerno, Taranto, Naples, Volturno, Foggia, Cassino, Anzio, and finally Rome were wrestled from the Germans.

While the invasion of Normandy gets much credit for leading to the end of the European war, the effort to reach Berlin from the south was equally heroic, bloody, and in many ways, a great unsung sacrifice—a fact that still rests uneasy with many surviving soldiers of the Italian Campaign.

We frequently get the opportunity to record our veterans’ interviews at the venerable Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum.   Situated in the busy Oakland section of Pittsburgh, the great Hall is a central landmark that sits high above 5^th Avenue, like a citadel.

Yet, despite its urban location for a hundred years, many residents still don’t know much about the museum.  As if hidden in plain sight, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum is the nation’s only military museum dedicated to honoring the men and women of all branches of service.

That mission complements our own commitment to preserve the stories of local veterans from all branches of service and eras—including the often forgotten Cold War.  Of course, because time is running out we prioritize working with the WW II generation, as was the case during this recording session; seven of the eight veterans we interviewed served during WW II.

Over two days (November 21^st and 22^nd) we welcomed our participating veterans to the museum’s grand Gettysburg Room, where we set up our mobile recording studio.   It’s a popular recording space, often seen in local documentaries; the History Channel likes to record here as well.

Again this year the recording project was joined by the 354th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, a communications unit in the Army Reserve located in Coraopolis, Pa.  The mission of the 354th is to publicize the Army and its history.

“In addition to our own interviews,” said director Todd DePastino of the Veterans Breakfast Club, “each year we arrange for the 354th MPAD to interview Army veterans. It’s a wonderful experience for our WW II vets to talk with today’s uniformed soldiers, and I think the Reservists feel the same way.”

We were also joined by Nick Wells of Mt. Lebanon, an active member of our volunteer creative team.  Nick was instrumental in helping us greet veterans and prepare them for their interviews.