There are many Gothic Line heroes who helped free Italy from Nazi and Italian Fascist tyranny but arguably some of the most unsung soldiers who fought and died for democracy even though they did not have it at home were the 50,000 Indians troops. They played a pivotal in the British-led Eighth Army on the Adriatic sector of the Allied Force campaign. Three Indian Divisions, each embedded with Scottish Highlander troops and sometimes other British soldiers, fought mainly in the rugged Apennine mountains to cover the flank of English, Canadian. Polish and Greek troops advancing up the Adriatic coastal plain. The bond forged between the Indians and British soldiers, especially with different divisions of the Scottish Highlander troops, is a multicultural success story .

Daniel Cesaretti began a crusade 40 years ago to honor the Indian soldiers that fought in Italy and to inform his fellow Italian citizens of their noble efforts. During the past four decades he has visited every battlefield where Indian soldiers fought and where more than 5,000 of them died. His efforts have led to various memorials. He is now leading an effort to establish a Indian soldier memorial site outside the city of Rimini so their valor will never be forgotten.

The story of the Indian soldiers is one that is not only an important historical landmark but also a vital reference point in today's politics when it comes to the debate over immigration in Europe. For the next two episodes of this podcast we will examine all of these issues in a two-part series dedicated to the Indian soldier story on the Gothic Line.