The work sheds light on the figure of an extraordinary man, an exceptional pilot and brilliant officer, who was a protagonist of important events and feats in the history of the Italian Air Force.
On Monday 6 March, at the “Adriano Visconti” Auditorium of Palazzo Aeronautica, in Rome, the volume was presented “Silvio Scaroni – The Ace who became a General”, of the historian and researcher Paolo Varriale, a passionate enthusiast of the world of flight and the history of the Italian Air Force.
Air Division General Silvio Scaroni, a Gold Medal of Military Valour recipient, with 26 confirmed kills, ranks second among Italian Aces after Francesco Baracca.
The volume, edited by Aeronautical Magazine, is the result of meticulous research carried out at the’Historical Office of the Air Force and with the direct collaboration of General Scaroni's family. The work is part of the Centenary necklace of the Armed Forces, one of the publishing proposals presented for the relevant competition notice “Call for Papers”.
The presentation began with a welcome address by the Head of the 5th Communications Department of the Air Force General Staff, Air Vice-Marshal Giovanni Francesco Adamo, as head of publishing for the Italian Air Force.
The next speaker was the Air Chief Marshal Luca Goretti, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, emphasizing that “We must celebrate the Centenary of the Air Force by remembering all those who have made the Armed Force what it is today. A person like General Scaroni is a figure who must be remembered not only for his military career and the heroic deeds accomplished, but as an example for young people. Personalities like Scaroni's embody important qualities: passion, professionalism, seriousness, intellectual honesty, values to be passed down to new generations. The meaning of the Centenary is also to bring young people closer not only to the Air Force, but to everything that revolves around it, such as research, universities, and industry.”.
The intervention of’Ing. Enzo Benigni, President and CEO of Elettronica Group and author of the book's preface, who, having personally known the Gold Medal for Military Valour, General Scaroni, recounted his personality with anecdotes and family memories, which allowed for an understanding of the depth and profound humanity of this officer, so important to the history of the Italian Air Force.
Indeed, General Silvio Scaroni was not only an extraordinary pilot but – as highlighted in the presentation of the volume by Air Squad General (retired) Alberto Rosso, former Chief of Staff of the Air Force – was above all a great lover of flying, passionate, enthusiastic, and possessed of a great sense of duty, characteristics that stayed with him his whole life.
Further details were provided by the Chief Inspector General (retd) Aeronautical Engineer Basilio Di Martino, military historian and President of Centenary Committee AM and from Professor Gregory Alegi, journalist and historian, who have highlighted how the work has the merit of offering the reader the history and life of an extraordinary man, an exceptional pilot and a brilliant officer, guiding them naturally through the narrative and allowing them to relive many important events and feats, often unknown.
The presentation was concluded by the author of the book himself, Dr. Paolo Varriale, who recounted the story of this great Italian aviator, who became an ace in an incredibly short time, with 5 confirmed kills in the first 8 months of service at the front during the First World War. Severely wounded, he did not participate in the final phase of the conflict; subsequently, he was appointed air attaché first in London and then in Washington and held numerous other prestigious posts, such as head of the military mission in China, before retiring from the Armed Forces in 1943 with the rank of Air Division General.
The author concluded by defining Scaroni “new man”meaning he was capable of adapting to new and challenging situations and of providing adequate responses and results, thanks to his great analytical skills and the specific technical expertise he possessed. His love for the Air Force and the profound sense of duty and service that accompanied him throughout his life, combined with being a witness, indeed a key player, in the entire pioneering, heroic, record-breaking, and wartime phases of the Royal Air Force, make him a figure who deserves to be known by the general public.
The volume is already available on Amazon store of the Italian Air Force.
