It took place today at the "Gamerra" barracks in Pisa, in the presence of the Army Chief of Staff, General of the Army Corps Salvatore Farina, the ceremony of commemoration of the facts of arms of El Alamein.
The battle represented one of the most epic moments in the history of the Army and its soldiers whose valor and deeds were also recognized by the adversary of the time. Indeed, Winston Churchill himself honored the heroic sacrifice of Italian soldiers at El Alamein in a speech in the House of Commons in London, using these words: "We really have to bow down before the remains of those who were the lions of the Thunderbolt ..."
He was echoed by the correspondent of Radio Cairo, Heartbrington who, on November 8, 1942, summarized those dramatic days by underlining how "The Folgore Division resisted beyond all possible hope", and the BBC in London who commented as " The last survivors of the Folgore were collected lifeless in the desert. The Folgore fell with weapons in hand".
During his speech, General Farina first thanked the Combat and Weapon Associations and in particular the National Paratroopers Association of Italy, custodians of the memory and traditions of the Army's weapons and specialties, and then addressed the men and women della Folgore present in Pisa, highlighting how the paratroopers of today are animated by the same ideals that moved "the Folgore boys of the time" and that make this Unit, together with the operators of the Special Forces, "the spearhead of the Armed Forces" .
In the continuation of his speech, the Chief of SME highlighted the constant excellent results obtained by the Folgore in the various operational theaters that have seen it as a protagonist from 1982 to the present day, as well as the commitment to guarantee the safety of citizens with Operation "Safe Roads" and the multiple and complex national and international training activities such as the Mangusta, the Swift Response 2019, the Mouflon or the Gazza Ladra of the Special Operations Section, just to name a few, conducted with equal units such as the 173 ^ Airborne Brigade.
These results "the result of a winning mindset that is always based on action "which makes paratroopers" a solid team of men and women trained and prepared according to very high standards and constantly looking for innovations and updates"And which represent"for the Armed Force and for the entire national community a reference model, a source of inspiration and a source of pride". In this sense, he praised all the paratroopers, Volunteers, Graduates, NCOs , Officers and chain of command, expressing appreciation for the Folgore Brigade, the Northern Operational Forces Command and their respective Commanders, Brigadier General Beniamino Vergori and Corps General Amedeo Sperotto.
The Commander of the Folgore, in addressing the paratroopers and the guests who attended, highlighted how the Paratroopers Brigade is made up of women and men in which values such as spirit of sacrifice, sense of duty and respect for others and for the weakest and who serve reside. the homeland with enthusiasm and passion from Italian cities, in the course of employment in the Safe Roads Operation, to the various international crisis scenarios in which they contribute to security and stability.
Indeed, because of the particularity and characteristics of its paratroopers, the Folgore is constantly engaged, even with small groups or individual specialists, in all international missions where the Italian Armed Forces are present, as well as in national operations, such as Safe Roads. , to contribute to the safety of various sensitive areas of the country and to rescue the population affected by recent natural disasters.
These skills, which after 77 years, still draw strength and will from the values and traditions received from the "Lions" of the time, and which are handed down to the many young people who aspire to wear the amaranth beret today.
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