Livorno, the Folgore remembers the Fallen of Meloria

On the 54th anniversary of the tragedy of Meloria, the Paratroopers Brigade “Folgore” renewed in Livorno the memory of the soldiers who disappeared on November 9, 1971: 46 paratroopers of the 6th Company “Grifi” of the 187th Regiment and 6 aviators of the Royal Air Force. A wound never healed that continues to unite Italy and the United Kingdom.

A memory that unites generations

The day opened at the Cimitero della Cigna with the laying of a laurel wreath at the War Memorial and the rendering of military honors. The Prefect of Livorno, Dr. Giancarlo Dionisi, and the Commander of the 187th Paratroopers Regiment “Folgore”, Col. Girolamo Bufi, renewed the sentiment of gratitude towards the Fallen, their families, and those who were involved in the complex search and recovery operations. Also present at the ceremony were the Commander of the Paratroopers Brigade “Folgore”, Brigadier General Federico Bernacca, and the ANPd’I with the National President, Gen. C.A. (res.) Marco Bertolini.

The brotherhood in arms and the relationship of cooperation with British colleagues were recalled as the moral legacy of that tragedy.

Inside the “Vannucci” barracks, headquarters of the 187th, a Holy Mass was celebrated in suffrage of the paratroopers and aviators who perished: a moment of reflection that reaffirmed the values of courage, discipline, and esprit de corps inherent to the Folgore.

The Banditella monument in the name of example

At the Banditella monument, the solemn ceremony with laying of a wreath remembered, with deep emotion, the sacrifice of Sgt. Maj. Giannino Caria, a diver of the 9th Saboteur Battalion, who fell while attempting to recover the bodies of the missing soldiers.

His act, performed in the silence of duty, has become a symbol of selflessness and dedication.

The sea as an altar of memory

The commemorations concluded with the laying of a wreath at sea, at the point of the tragic impact. A sober and powerful rite, as a testament to a living memory that binds past and present and entrusts the sea with the task of forever guarding the names and stories of those young men.

The Meloria disaster remains an indelible page in the history of the Folgore.

But it is also a pact of responsibility: to transform pain into service, absence into commitment, memory into shared identity. Over fifty years later, today's paratroopers continue to honor those Fallen with their daily example, upholding the values that make the Folgore a symbol of prestige and honor for the Italian Army.