But when I was hospitalized for wounds from Vietnam, while out on pass I found a great Italian restaurant not far from the hospital in San Francisco where I met the owner, who was an Italian WWII combat veteran.
After we met, every time I came in he'd bring a bottle of wine to my table and sit down to talk. He was an Italian soldier only briefly when he was captured by American troops and sent to a POW camp in the U.S. (Colorado or Montana, I think). POWs could not do forced labor but could volunteer, and he spent his captivity doing conservation work much like the CCC.
In time he was released and was able to bring his family over from Italy to join him and eventually they were able to open their restaurant.
Every combat soldier wishes to escape the horrors of war. In this case, one did. He survived, was a POW, and later prospered. He had a great story, and I was glad he survived.
I'm very sorry about the loss of your uncle. He sounds like another good guy. 
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