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Detail from a painting titled "Fallen Friend"

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Unit of Service: Battery C, 633rd Field Artillery Battalion
  • Location of Service: England; North Africa; Sicily; Italy
  • Highest Rank: Private First Class
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/5844

View full service history

"I was determined to paint of a humanity, be it civilian or military, struggling to survive the cruel events." (Life in the Armed Forces at Twenty One, page 3)

Peter Sanfilippo served with the 633rd Field Artillery. He decided that art would be a comfort to him, and once in London, he purchased painting supplies. Initially stationed in North Africa, he began sketching the locals. The war then took his unit to Sicily and the Italian mainland. Though surrounded by the terrible destruction of war, Sanfilippo mainly chose to document the people, both civilian and military, wherever he was. Following the end of hostilities, Sanfilippo's unit remained in Italy as MPs, and he worked as an interpreter, which permitted him more free time for his watercolors. Sanfilippo is quick to credit his fellow soldiers, who helped him carry his supplies throughout their travels together.

[ Photocopy of Fifth Army Association ID card [12/8/1944] ]

More Resources

[ Enlisted record and report of separation ]
[ Honorable Discharge [8/26/1945] ]
[ A Journey Through World War II ]
[ Letter from Peter Sanfilippo to the Veteran's History Project [5/6/2003] ]
[ Tunisia, Africa [1943]. "Relief Column" ]
[ Castellano, Sicily [1943]. "Waiting for religious services." ]

Show more resources (38)

[ Bizerte, Tunisia [1943]. "Enemy under attack." ]
[ Caltinissetta, Sicily [1943]. "Refugee Family." ]
[ England [1942]. "Salisbury Cathedral." ]
[ Italy, 1942-1945. "The Letter." ]
[ Setif, Algeria [1943]. "Piper Cub" ]
[ England, 1942. "Sheep Shearing" ]
[ Caserta, Italy [1943]. "American Field Hospital" ]
[ Palermo, Sicily [1943]. "Organ Grinder" ]
[ Monte Cassino, Italy [1944]. "Alipine Troops" ]
[ Algeria [1943]. "Constantine Sunset" ]
[ Imola, Italy [1944]. "Fireside Visit" ]
[ Termini Imerese, Sicily [1943]. "Olive Picking" ]
[ Chancy, Africa [1942]. "Algerian Portrait" ]
[ Terni, Italy [1945] ]
[ Caserta, Italy [1944]. "Nursing Corps" ]
[ Latina, Italy [1943]. "Guard Duty" ]
[ Caserta, Italy [1944]. "The Nurses" ]
[ Florence, Italy [1944]. "Gathering at the Vineyard" ]
[ Florence, Italy [1945]. "Ponte Vecchio" ]
[ Carrara, Italy [1945]. "Coffee Break" ]
[ England [1942]. "Salisbury Plain" ]
[ Mazzarina, Sicily [1944]. "Returning Refugee Group" ]
[ Monte Cassino, Italy [1944]. "Hit on an Ammunition Dump" ]
[ Naples, Italy [1943]. "Naples Scene" ]
[ Naples, Italy [1943]. "Red Cross Volunteers" ]
[ England [1942]. "Stonehenge" ]
[ Monte Cassino, Italy [1944]. "Loss of Three Comrades" ]
[ Nettuno, Italy [1944]. "Fallen Friends" ]
[ Monte Cassino, Italy [1944]. "Assault on Monte Cassino" ]
[ Tunisia [1943]. "Tunisian Market" ]
[ Tunisia [1943]. "Tunisian Mosque" ]
[ Algeria [1943]. "People of the Casbah" ]
[ Resumé for Peter Sanfilippo ]
[ Major Battles ]
[ Congressional press release, "Wading River Artist to Display Paintings in Washington" [1/18/1996] ]
[ Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition ]
[ "Soldati Italiani!" Propaganda pamphlet distributed to Italian troops urging them to lay down their arms and join forces with the allies. ]
[ "Il popolo Italiano ha agito." Propaganda pamphlet informing the Italian populace of the demise of Mussolini and urging all Italians to join forces with the Allied troops in ridding Italy of German ]

About this Item

Title

  • Peter Sanfilippo Collection

Names

  • Sanfilippo, Peter

Home State

  • New York (State)

Headings

  • -  Sanfilippo, Peter
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Unit of Service: Battery C, 633rd Field Artillery Battalion
    • Location of Service: England; North Africa; Sicily; Italy
    • Highest Rank: Private First Class
    • Dates of Service: 1941-1945
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Manuscript: Correspondence [1 item] -- Handwritten document (collected 2003-05-06)
  • Manuscript: Memoirs [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Printed matter [2 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Manuscript: Mixed (Multiple types of manuscripts) [15 items] -- (collected unknown)
  • Photograph: Copy photographic print [39 items] -- Photograph (collected unknown)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/5844

Cite as

  • Peter Sanfilippo Collection (AFC/2001/001/5844), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Sanfilippo, Peter. Peter Sanfilippo Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.05844/.

APA citation style:

Sanfilippo, P. (1941) Peter Sanfilippo Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.05844/.

MLA citation style:

Sanfilippo, Peter. Peter Sanfilippo Collection. 1941. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.05844/>.