Ralph Fanelli

By Christina Iovinelli

The Great War was once often thought of as the war that would end all other wars. It was a time in America where most men were forced to leave their homes and fulfill the oath that promises one nation's needs are far greater than one’s own. For the 18% of immigrants, it was a time in which they too honorably served a country, but for one that was not their homeland, and often before they earned their American citizenship. So the story goes for Amboy’s very own Fanelli’s Confectionery owner, Private Ralph Fanelli.

Ralph was an Italian man born in 1895 in the hills of Pieve Di Compito, Italy where he grew up on a vineyard with his 7 siblings. He arrived on Ellis Island by boat in 1912 at 17 years old, and like many Italian immigrants at the time, he nestled in the city of Chicago and began working there for a few years up until America entered the war. Ralph was drafted into the Army in 1917 under the 131st infantry, or better known as the “Little Illinois’”. The Little Illinois’ position was among one of the war’s most dangerous roles. Trench runners had the task of delivering messages along the front by foot. Trench running was often described as a thankless job because it was only a matter of when one was to get hurt, merely if. To survive this roll, trench runners had no choice but to be quick on their feet, and at 5 feet and 6 inches tall in a skinny body, Ralph was a great candidate in the eyes of the US Army.

Under the 131st infantry, Ralph was assigned to the 2nd battalion H Company, and fought alongside the Australians. On May 13th, 1918, his unit harbored in Brest, France, and three days later were sent out in small groups by train to head to the front lines. Twenty days later, on the 21st of July 1918, Ralph and his battalion were inching closer toward the war, when a German plane filled with 7 men and their bombs fell from the sky and crash landed near them exploding into millions of pieces. The following day, Ralph’s unit was passing through Amiens, France, a deserted bombed city, where they documented that they were now in the war zone. From here on out, Ralph and his troop wore gas masks and dug ditches to protect themselves from the gruesome night bombings.

As the war continued to advance, and the 131st Infantry moved along the front, the harsh conditions of the trenches only increased. In early July of 1918 outside of Bayonville, France, Ralph and all companies A-H marched alongside the Australian troops while strategizing their charge on Hemel. At approximately 2:30 AM on July 4th the men executed the operation. Progressing at a rate of 100 yards every 3 minutes, they steadily pushed the frontline deeper into German territory. Despite encountering strategically placed German barbed wire in the woods, the American forces pressed onward undeterred. Upon reaching Hemel, they found the British had already seized enemy positions. Ralph and the rest of H company rapidly secured the area, seized what they could, and continued marching on. The Battle of Hemel marked the first significant engagement involving all members of the 131st Infantry. The Australians noted their impression of the American forces, relaying that their only critique was their remarkable swiftness. Ralph’s early war injuries and the exact timing they occurred remain unknown. However, given his role as a trench runner, it is imagined that he sustained such injuries during events like the Battle of Hemel. According to Ralph’s children and grandchildren, his left leg bore witness to his time in the war long after it had ended.

On October 3rd, 1918, an enemy aircraft and one allied plane went down in Drilliancourt near the 131st Infantry, amidst intense machine gun firing over control of the riverbank. Subsequently, many years later, an Amboy newspaper article shared that Ralph recalled his most vivid memory from the war involving witnessing an American plane crashing nearby him during combat. Despite hoping to rescue the pilot, Ralph tragically discovered him to be deceased and riddled with bullet wounds.

On the evening of November 10th, at 6:15 PM, the commander of the 131st infantry company issued orders to Ralph and his unit. The message directed them to initiate a heavy artillery fire on Butgneville at 5 AM the following day, approximately 1 mile northeast of their position. They were instructed to advance to the town after the bombardment, seize control, and hold it with the entire company strength, alongside four machine guns. Despite a notice of armistice delivered at 8:30 AM on November 11th, that announced a ceasefire at 11 AM, a German machine gunner fired at Ralph’s unit at the very last moment.

The narrative persists that Ralph regained consciousness amid distant cries that shouted, “The war is over!”, whilst under a pile of dozens of lifeless men. The weight of the bodies applied enough pressure to Ralph’s punctured left leg, ultimately saving his life. As Ralph began to move toward the top of the trench, he realized he couldn’t walk. Ralph laid there crying out for help until a wounded German soldier, whose right leg mirrored Ralph’s left one, stumbled over to him. The two men took their rifles and supported one another on opposing legs as they hobbled to the aid station together. When they arrived, the German soldiers were being treated on one side and the Allied soldiers on another. Ralph and the German exchanged different items before parting, leaving Ralph with his ring.

Ralph went on to receive his American citizenship in 1920, and he settled in Amboy three years later eventually taking over his brother’s store. He later married Helen Fanelli and they raised their 6 children together in Amboy. Ralph was described as a taciturn man, who seemed to always be looking out into the distance at something others could not see. Ralph was honorably recognized numerous times for his remarkable sacrifice and brave service to our country. As much as Ralph loved Toscana, he wore his American citizenship with pride for the remainder of his life.