“Commemorating Pagliano and Gori, and the machine-gunners Giacomo Caglio and Arrigo Andri, is both a duty and an important way of keeping their memory alive” A ceremony was held in Aviano on 30 December, to mark the centenary of their deaths, to commemorate the pilot officers Captain Maurizio Pagliano and Lieutenant Luigi Gori, and the machine-gunners Giacomo Caglio and Arrigo Andri, who were shot down near Susegana, in the province of Treviso, whilst aboard the Caproni Ca.3 (serial number 4216) during their return flight from a bombing mission against the Austro-Hungarian airfield at Godega di Sant’Urbano. The nation’s grief was profound and unanimous, so much so that the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio dedicated the operation known as the “Beffa di Buccari” – carried out between 10 and 11 February 1918 – to the two young pilots who had perished, later celebrated with the lines ’honour to the heroic pair, in life and in death“. In 1919, thanks to the efforts of Gabriele D’Annunzio, Aviano Airport was named after the two pilot officers. The commemorative ceremony was attended by the Commander of Aviano Airport, Col. Vincenzo Tozzi, the Mayor of Aviano, Ilario De Marco Zompit, Councillor Laura Benedet of Roveredo in Piano, as well as the Armed Forces Associations, the Istituto del Nastro Azzurro and the Frecce Tricolori Club of Roveredo in Piano. ”Commemorating Pagliano and Gori, and the machine-gunners Giacomo Caglio and Arrigo Andri, is both a duty and an important way to keep alive the memory of the “heroic pair“, their courage and their ultimate sacrifice, which linked their fate to that of millions of military personnel and civilians during the First World War”, said the Commander of Aviano Air Base, concluding that it is important to remember the events, heroic deeds and tragedies of the First World War, especially amongst the younger generations. The crew of the CA3 were also honoured by a moving flypast of several historic aircraft, which subsequently continued their route towards Susegana to join other aircraft from the Jonathan Collection Foundation in Nervesa della Battaglia and commemorate thefinal flight of the Caproni CA 3 and its crew at that time. Colonel Tozzi expressed his thanks to the authorities and all those who contributed to the organisation of this important commemoration, in particular to Mr Walter Raccanelli, a ”historian“ and valued collaborator of the Aviano Airport Command. The mission of Aviano Air Base Command is to guarantee national sovereignty and oversee the implementation of bilateral agreements relating to the presence of USAF units stationed at the airbase, to supervise the flight and operational activities of the stationed USAF units, and to ensure the defence of the base.
