Fifty years ago, I was on temporary duty to Northern Italy from my base of assignment in England. My fighter squadron, the 92nd Avengers, had traveled south to requalify in our bombing events. The weather was so rotten in Northern Europe this time of year that we traveled to warmer climes in Italy, Spain and Turkey so we could see the ground to requalify every six months. We flew from Aviano to nearby Maniago Range twice daily, five days a week to practice bombing and strafing.
We were free over the weekend, and a small group of Avengers decided to visit nearby Venice. A quick cab ride to the Pordenone train station and an hour train ride took us to the ancient port city of Venice. During the Medieval Age, Venice was perhaps the most powerful port city in the Mediterranean, and controlled great wealth through trade.