After the capture of Agrigento, the American path to the west was open. On July 22, 1943, American troops entered Palermo in force. The 3rd Infantry Division marched 90 miles in three days to earn the honor of being the first division to enter the city. Long columns of Italian prisoners marched out of the city destined for POW camps in Africa and the United States. The Germans mounted a fighting retreat to the east. |