RENATO ROLANDO FERRARA

INTRODUCTION

The following is a series of recollections which I gathered during conversations with my father about his childhood and homeland, his experiences during the Second World War and his eventual immigration to Canada. Although his life seems ordinary in many ways as that of an Italian immigrant who moves his family to a new country for a better life, it is filled with many events and stories most of us will never, by the grace of God, experience. There were certainly many happy times, however, some of this was tainted with early childhood tragedies and the horrifying experience of being a Prisoner of War during the most horrible of all wars - WW2. Many of these stories were heard over and over again growing up in a very typical Italian family. When I actually sat down to record these events, my father took great delight in recounting his experiences and also shed a few tears reliving some of the more painful memories. I have no doubt that somewhere, someone has a parent who shares some of these life experiences or perhaps there are those who have actually lived through similar events. New stories always crop up during conversations and if more information becomes available or other memories surface, I will update as necessary. Most recently I was able to borrow and scan photos which I have never seen before. Specifically, there is one of my grandfather Innocenzo taken when he was older and the resemblance to his sons is quite evident. It can be found at the end of the 11th installment. Most of us in the family have only ever seen his image as a young man. The other photos will eventually be used in a photo page.

Liliana Ferrara Haynes