Life at Bella Vista by Nick Mariana
Life at Bella Vista Not the Life of Riley
By Nick Mariana.
”Si mangia, si beve e si dorme – e questo e la vita a Bella Vista.”
“We eat, we drink and we sleep and this is the life at Bella Vista.” “That’s what 800-odd Italian seamen interned at Fort Missoula detention station, which the Italians have named Bella Vista, will say when you ask how they like being interned. And – it isn’t the life of Riley.
Here is a typical day at Bella Vista. The men get up anywhere from 7 to 9 o’clock in the morning, eat breakfast in shifts. The officers have their own private mess hall which can accommodate all at one sitting.
After breakfast the men go for a stroll around the camp – about 2,000 yards around – or go back to their bunks. Some flop somewhere on the cool grass of the camp.
Miniature ship construction is a hobby of many, and scores of prize sleek, high masted ships adorn the desks, tables and even transoms of the barrack rooms.
Others turn to the playgrounds which they have constructed. They play soccer with skill and a typically Italian game, “bocce.” “Bocce” is played by six men, three to a team. First a small ball, slightly larger than a baseball, is rolled down an alley way of some 80 feet. The object of the game is to come as close as possible to the small ball with larger ones rolled by the players. Each man is allowed two throws and the skill with which they can knock another player’s ball from a scoring zone is amazing. The Italians play at this game for hours – day in and day out.
Photographer Swamped.
When a photographer appeared he was almost swamped. “Photographia!” Photographia qui!” “Photographer – photographer here!” They would say. “Fa mi una photographia,” “Make a picture,” they would shout. No matter where the photographer went, the seamen followed him around seeking to have a picture taken.
They wanted pictures of themselves to send home to let loved ones know how well they were, they said. Individual photographing is prohibited – but how they pile into group pictures.
“Giornali, giornalie. Ai portato un gioeale?” “Newspapers, newspapers, have you brought a newspaper?” This question was fired repeatedly in every room of both barracks and in the hospital, where a slight, gray-haired, tired looking, little man – nodded politely when the photographer inquired if pictures could be taken inside. All the men wanted newspapers, magazines with pictures, photographs of anything and everything.
In the hospital, patients were being visited by their fellow countrymen. They looked bewildered when the photographer appeared. The little, old doctor went on about his business as bulbs flashed. Patients watching the “medico’s” calm manners were relieved.
“Come e la vita qui?” (How is life here?), was a question put to some of the men on the playgrounds.
Miss Their Families.
“It’s all right,” they said. “But how wonderful it would be if we could have our families, here even for a few days.”
The barracks are crowded with double bunks [and] there is barely enough room for the men to slip down from the upper bunks to the floor. This situation will not be for long, say immigration authorities, as 13 fabricated portable houses will be put up just as soon as cement foundations are ready. After the first 13 are set up, another 13 will be constructed alongside. This will alleviate the crowded conditions in the barracks. The portable house construction is scheduled to begin Monday, said officials at the detention camp.
Forty-eight thousand, five-hundred pounds of laundry equipment has arrived for installation. The plant will be to handle laundry for 10,000 men.
Sixty-foot towers have been constructed at the north and south gates and a dozen border patrolmen at each gate are constantly on guard. Patrol cars roll around at regular intervals and a stringent check system is in operation at the post gates and also at the high iron gates and fences of the confinement.
The men eat in the evening starting at 5 o’clock. After dinner the band of the luxury liner Conte Biancomano plays, and the men join in the singing of Italian songs. In other parts of the camp an orchestra puts on a concert of its own and in still other rooms of the barracks, violinists, pianists and other musical instruments can be heard. That is their night life.
Letter-writing is one of the major works at the camp. Everyone has someone to write to and everyone writes. Some of the men write every day.
One fellow proudly displayed pictures of his family.
Avoid War Talk.
They wouldn’t talk about the war. They chatted continually about life at the camp, their hobbies, the music, the food. Some who had jobs were too busy to join in.
The Italian priest celebrates mass every Sunday and on Holy days. Everyone goes.
Two roly-poly, good natured, moustached gentlemen operating the camp barber shop are always busy.
Thus it is for the Italians at Bella Vista and thus it will be for the hundreds yet to come.
The men are getting into the pattern of life without quibbling even though they are homesick and lonely. They want to be home with their families but as they say: “Questa e la vita a Bella Vista.” (This is life at Bella Vista.)
The above article appeared in The Daily Missoulian on June 15, 1941