On October 23, the Ceremony for Commemorating the Military Who Fell in the Skies of France was held at the 84th C/SAR Center in Gioia del Colle. The ceremony was held in a simple and reserved manner, with the participation of the families of the fallen military, who, as emphasized by Colonel Giuseppe Massimetti, Commander of the 15th Stormo, ’… are an indispensable bond and a welcome presence for all the men of the SAR.“ Don Pasquale recalled ”Michele, Stefano, Marco, Giovanni, Carmine, Teodoro, Giuseppe and Massimiliano, who fell in a tragic accident while carrying out their work“, whose passion, which has always guided every moment of their lives dedicated to others, is the same that animates all the men of the 15th Stormo and that, as highlighted by Major Diego De Marco, Commander of the 84th C/SAR Center, ”… guides the Center every day, while the memory of the fallen friends is constantly present and is the vital essence and stimulus in every action’. The ceremony concluded with the laying of a wreath at the monument erected in memory of Captain Michele Cargnoni, Captain Stefano Bazzo, Lieutenant Marco Partipilo, First Marshal Giovanni Sabatelli, First Marshal Carmine Briganti, Marshal of First Class Teodoro Baccaro, Marshal of First Class Giuseppe Biscotti and Marshal of First Class Massimiliano Tommasi. The monument consists of a stone slab on which is placed a statue of Our Lady of Loreto, surrounded by eight laurel trees. Below we report, as on every anniversary, the words of the late General Tei during his speech at the first commemoration of the incident: “The Aeronautic Military continues to operate in the service of the State even in the difficult role of saving human lives.” This task, arduous and requiring a spirit of self-sacrifice and extraordinary commitment, has always been considered a privilege by the SAR personnel in the performance of their daily work, which guarantees the indispensable service of Search and Rescue, carried out throughout the national territory and waters, as well as in the Mediterranean Sea basin within the framework of the International Agreements signed with the neighboring countries, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
