The celebrations within the Military Air Force Memorial Chapel in the Verano Monumental Cemetery on Thursday, November 1, 2018, with the traditional ceremony within the Military Air Force Memorial Chapel in the Verano Monumental Cemetery in Rome, commemorated the fallen of the Blue Army.
At the religious ceremony, officiated by the Episcopal Vicar for the AM, Don Antonio Coppola, and promoted as every year by the National Association of Families of Fallen and Disabled Airmen of the Air Force (ANFCMA), was present the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Force Brigadier General Albero ROSSO, received on the spot by General Tiziano Tosi, President of the ANFCMA and by the Commander of the Air Force Command Rome (COMAER), Brigadier General Francesco CANNILLO.
The heartfelt homily delivered by the Episcopal Vicar focused on the memory of our Fallen and of those who sacrificed their lives believing in the values and ideals of the Homeland.
At the end of the ceremony, the authorities present, including the Chief of Staff of the Defense, General of the Air Force Enzo VECCIARELLI, visited the nearby “Monument of the Eagles”, an imposing sculpture in travertine depicting themes such as battle, sacrifice and victory. At the foot of the monument, in the presence of the honor guard and a representation of the Armed Forces, the authorities lit, as per tradition, the “Light of Fraternity” as a testament to the close bond that unites the Association and the Air Force as one great family. Subsequently, two wreaths in the name of the Air Force and the ANFCMA were laid.
As is tradition, the intense gloomy morning ended with the homage of the highest authorities to the tomb of General Giulio Douhet, a renowned theorist of aerial doctrine, also located within the Verano. This initiative was organized by the Arma Aeronautica Association of Rome, which has been taking care of this burial monument for a long time.
During the 1950s, the Air Force chose to dedicate a place to preserve the memory of our fallen soldiers from the Second World War. Today, that place is the Memorial Cemetery Sacrario of Campo Verano in Rome, which commemorates military personnel who lost their lives in flight and who distinguished themselves for exceptional merit. The care, maintenance and custody aspects are entrusted to the Air Force Command Rome, which is also tasked with maintaining contact with the municipal cemetery authority.
