American Destiny
A True Story of Family, Roots, and the Journey Between Two Worlds
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Chapter 1: The Journey to My Parents’ Homeland August 15, 1945. The air in New Rochelle, New York, was thick with the joy of victory. It was V-J Day, Victory over Japan Day. Church bells rang out in triumphant peals, and a sea of citizens gathered in the park in front of the grand, French chateau-style high school. Twin lakes at the high school glistened beneath the summer sun, geyser-like fountains shooting into the sky as the crowd erupted into chants. The news came early, blasting out of the radio like it couldn’t wait another second—Japan had surrendered. The war in Japan was over. Mom turned up the volume and just stood there with her hand over her mouth, and I swear for a second, she forgot to breathe. Outside, people were already pouring into the streets, cheering and waving flags. In Times Square, the ticker spelled it out in giant glowing letters, and folks danced right there in the middle of the street. Church bells rang, and someone set off fireworks even though it was still morning. I remember feeling so happy. "Peace! Peace! Peace! The war in Japan is finally over!" People embraced—strangers and friends alike—overcome with relief and happiness. Children danced in circles, and others waved American flags with wild abandon. My dad, Filippo Argenti, stood tall, his strong features softened with emotion as he turned to my mom, Angela. She was exquisite, her beauty illuminated by the golden afternoon light, and said: "As I promised you fifteen years ago, we are finally going back home to live permanently in Bari! Bella Italia, the land of our ancestors." My mother clutched his hands, her eyes shining. For so long, they had dreamed of this day.
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About the Book
Marcella Luiso Flanagan remembers every detail of July 3, 1948, when she and her family boarded a former military transport ship to cross the Atlantic back to Italy, and the months that followed, like it was yesterday. They spent five unforgettable months in postwar Italy. They were joyous yet filled with uncertainty as her parents struggled to reconcile the country they once knew with the one they found. The devastation of war, and the devaluation of the lira, forced them to make the heart-wrenching decision to return to America. They left Italy on December 1, 1948, and went back to their home in Westchester, New York. Those five short months would change the course of Marcella’s life forever, and in American Destiny – with the help of her niece – she recalls how her family navigated the journey along with its painful decisions.
About the Author
Marcella Luiso Flanagan is an American fashion designer/manufacturer executive, a maverick for women in business beginning in the 1960s through 2000, and the founding executive director of the New York Association of Women Business Owners, which was formed in 1977. She put together the first “Salute to Women in Business Week” in New York City fifty years ago. Now, she tells how her Italian American immigrant family returned to Italy after World War II, only to return back to America. Phyllis Clare Orlowski is Marcella’s niece. Her enthusiasm, talent, and love for her Italian roots brought new life to the American Destiny project. Having lived and studied in Florence, she speaks fluent Italian and is deeply connected to her Italian heritage.