The ceremony in Cagliari for National Unity Day and Armed Forces Day lasted just under an hour.
Present were the Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, and the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto. In the stands the minister Marina Elvira Calderone, the senator Maurizio Gasparri, the senator dem Marco Meloni, the president of the Region Christian Solinas, the mayor of Cagliari Paolo Truzzu, some Sardinian mayors, the regional councilors Pierluigi Saiu, Ada Lai, Antonio Moro, Marco Porcu, Andreina Farris, Valeria Satta, the parliamentarians of Fratelli d'Italia Antonella Zedda and Francesco Mura, the president of the Port Authority Massimo Deiana.
Celebriamo la Festa ma senza Dimenticare
«Today, with pride, we can say that Cagliari is the capital of Italy», said the lieutenant colonel of the Sassari Brigade, Marco Mele, on the sidelines of the celebrations. «November 4th is traditionally a day with a double meaning - added the Brigade's communication officer - On the one hand it is the solemn expression of the country's recognition and gratitude towards those who have left us a legacy of priceless values. On the other hand, it is a warning to the new generations not to forget the great suffering and sacrifices suffered during the two World Wars. It is an important moment, which this morning in Rome, the President of the Republic sublimated with the noblest of gestures: the placing of a laurel wreath on the shrine of the unknown soldier."
«Commemorating the Day of National Unity and the Day of the Armed Forces – continued Mele – means dedicating the right attention to a moment of national importance, not only celebratory, but with a strong historical-cultural character, which serves to keep alive in the new generations a collective consciousness on roots and national identity. This is why during this anniversary it is right to recall and honor the memory of all those who have sacrificed, over time, the supreme good of life for Italy."
Mattarella did not give any speech, while Minister Crosetto spoke and in his speech cited, among other things, Giuseppe Ungaretti and his famous “It's like autumn on the trees with the leaves” to indicate «transience and anguish of the life of the infantryman in the trenches", and the Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.
After the delivery by the President of the Republic of the five flag decorations, the parade of the Armed Forces and the performance of the anthem "Dimonios" by the Sassari Brigade, finally the flyover over the city of the Frecce Tricolori.
«The visit of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella to Cagliari this year takes on a particular meaning because we are celebrating a November 4th still full of wars. If in 2022 we were shaken by the conflict that broke out in Ukraine, this year we are also worried and astonished by the war in the Middle East. The presence in Sardinia of the Head of State and the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto is a sign of national unity and thanks to our Armed Forces who have carried out and continue to carry out their role with such selflessness", said the President of the Regional Council Michele Pais . «This anniversary - he stated - which commemorates the signing in 1918 of the armistice of Villa Giusti which, historically coincides with the end of the First World War, brings to mind all those who sacrificed their lives for an ideal of their homeland . Today we remember the many Sardinians who sacrificed their lives for their country, but we also want to renew our gratitude to the women and men of the Armed Forces, of our glorious Sassari Brigade, who thanks to their dedication contribute to making Italy better and more safe even in a moment of great conflict like this one in which we are witnessing the return of barbarism, arrogance and extremism that put democracies to the test. We honor our armed forces in the knowledge that there is no peace without defense."
(Unioneonline/ss)
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PICTURES:
Il presidente della Repubblica Sergio Mattarella al porto di Cagliari per la Festa delle forze armate. Le immagini. (Unioneonline)
THE VIDEOS:
THE ARRIVAL IN ELMAS:
THE MAYORS: «AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SARDINIA»
THE TRICOLORED ARROWS:
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM:
THE SASSARI BRIGADE: