RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: lisat on Saturday 02 September 23 11:06 BST (UK)
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Just wanted to say a huge thank you to Rootschat for their part in a small success story.
In 2014 I posted ‘WW2 Italian RAF Dog Tag’ regarding a Dogtag I had kept for 50 years since my father died in 1973. The family story was that it had belonged to an Italian airman that my father befriended during his time in Italy in 1944.
Nine years later, last month, I was so surprised to receive an e mail from the son of that Italian airman, who had been searching on the internet and came across my Rootschat entry.
After exchanging many e mails and information I have at last been able to return the dog tag to the son of Angelo Leonardi, who is sadly no longer with us. Not only have we become friends but we have both started to research more into the circumstances our fathers were in, in Naples in 1944. We still don’t really know the circumstances of how my father came into possession of his dog tag, but we like to think it was a token of friendship.
So, a huge thank you to Rootschat for their part in this story, from us both.
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What a great story, Lisa.
Thank you for sharing this and what a testament to Rootschat. :)
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That is such a touching story I had to use my hankie.
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It was pretty magical Rena. We like to think our Dads would be pleased!
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Wow, what a fantastic story.
All the searching was worthwhile
LM
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Just shows you should never give up!
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No, quite right you shouldn't, wish I could find my few missing ones who have just disappeared into thin air
LM
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It's true: thanks also from me to Rootschat. But an even bigger thank you to you, Lisa, for your determination and for your kindness which allowed me to open a new window of knowledge in my father's life.
BL
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What a wonderful story with a wonderful positve result. Amazing.
Despite what was suggested on the initial thread about it being “too late” to find relatives to return these precious items to (which I beleive is nonsense), there are quite a few examples of it happening, made a lot easier these days due to the internet.
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Just goes to show that you never know where your rootschat posts will lead!
Still keeping my fingers crossed that somewhere out there are the means to knock down my brickwalls.
Jackie
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What a great ending and am so happy for you :)
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Thanks Jackie and Trish. You must never give up trying. I’m still smiling about it now! Still got brick walls though! One is like the Great Wall of China, but I refuse to give up hope now.
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I have a brick wall also that I hope to resolve sometime :)
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Have just read through the original thread, what a wonderful outcome. :D
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The power of the internet, plus a little bit of luck! So grateful to RootsChat.
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Just read an amazing story reported by BBC’s Giancarlo Rinaldi regarding the discovery of relatives of an Italian POW Francesco D’Inverno, who sadly died when the Arandora Star sank, and had been buried in an unmarked grave in Scotland. Through detailed research of Raffaello Gonella, and with the help of Facebook, he managed to trace this man’s family. Incredible story with a happy ending that spurs you on to keep trying and not giving up.
Good research can achieve fantastic results .