The event was organised by the local branch of the Air Force Association under the patronage of the Municipal Council. The event,organised by the local branch of the Air Force Association under the patronage of the Municipal Council, was attended by numerous civil and military dignitaries, including the Mayor of Chioggia, Giuseppe Casson, the Councillor for the Province of Venice, Dr Gianni Lucio; Air Division General Roberto Nordio, Commander of the 1st Air Region and the Combat Forces Command; Colonel Mauro Lunardi, Commander of the 51st Wing and the Istrana District; Colonel Claudio Barbieri, Director of the 2nd R.M.M., the National Vice-President of the A.A.A., General Riccardo Marchese, as well as local representatives from the Carabinieri, the Harbour Master’s Office, the Guardia di Finanza, the State Police and the Fire Brigade. Following the welcoming remarks by the President of the local branch of the Air Force Association,Cav. Paolo Belfiori, who thanked the Mayor for supporting the request to name the square, General Nordio conveyed the greetings and thanks of the Chief of the Air Force General Staff, Air Chief Marshal Pasquale Preziosa, emphasising the bond between thethe naming of the square and the Air Force War Memorial already situated there, which strengthens the bonds linking the men and women in blue with the city of Chioggia in memory of those who, even recently, have quietly given their lives for their country and in the cause of peace. The Mayor, in returning the greetings, recalled the “quiet yet active” history of Chioggia’s airmen. The ceremony, which concluded with the blessing of the square by the Military Chaplain of the 51st Wing, resonated deeply with the local community, which has close ties to the Air Force due to the presence in the area of the 81st I.T., which closed in 1995, and was accompanied by the music of the 1st Air Region Fanfare and the joyful participation of the children from the ’Don Milani“ school.
