One year after the disappearance of the young Air Force pilot, the town in Lazio has unveiled a monument in his memory. Today in Terracina, one year after the tragic event that took him away during an air show, Major Pilot Gabriele Orlandi was remembered with a moving ceremony during which a monument in his memory, strongly desired by the town in Lazio, was inaugurated. The ceremony, attended by the boy's emotional parents, was also attended by Senator Fabio Rampelli, Vice-President of the Chamber, Air Force General Giovanni Fantuzzi, Logistic Commander, representing the Air Force, Dr. Nicola Procaccini, Mayor of Terracina, and numerous military and civilian authorities from the area. The ceremony, full of emotion, reached its climax with the laying of a wreath by Senator Rampelli, together with General Fantuzzi and the Mayor of Terracina, on the monument dedicated to Major Orlandi, an expression of the affection of the town in Lazio for the young pilot and for the entire Air Force family. The monument, a striking work full of meaning, represents, according to the author's words,“The young pilot with his mechanical means has risen as a demigod, next to Circe. The rear part with armoured legs, hand, and sword to convey the sense of human sacrifice in defence of one's values, the central part with superimposed wings and sails to give the idea of continuity and movement, and the front part with the body and winged head in the act of re-emerging and taking flight again, protesting towards Circe's sea.”. The work has been defined by the mayor, Dr. Procaccini, ”A monument to the fallen of the Air Force, a monument dedicated to the best of us.“Today is a day to remember Gabriele, a pilot, a professional, a friend who is missed every day, but it is also an opportunity to honour all the fallen of the Italian Air Force who sacrificed their lives in service to the country.
