Folgore, ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the Meloria disaster

This morning, with the participation of the relatives of the victims and in the presence of the civil and military authorities of the city of Livorno, the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Meloria plane crash (Photo), one of the most dramatic events that involved the Italian Armed Forces from the postwar period to today. On 9 November 1971 a United Kingdom Hercules C 130 aircraft carrying 52 soldiers including paratroopers of the 187th Folgore Parachute Regiment and flight crew of the British Royal Air Force, took off from the San Giusto airport of Pisa and headed for the Villacidro board. in Sardinia, to carry out a launch in the context of the international exercise “Cold Stream”, he crashed in the shallows of Meloria, the stretch of sea in front of the city of Livorno. The commemoration began at the Cigna cemetery with the deposition of a crown and the rendering of honors at the war memorial of “Gesso 4”, continued with the celebration of mass at the Cathedral of San Francesco, Duomo of Livorno, officiated by the Military Ordinary SE Santo Marcianò, which was followed by the deposition of a crown at the Monument to the Fallen of Meloria in Banditella and a crown in the sea at the exact point where the C 130 sank. the commander of the “Folgore” Brigade, Brigadier General Roberto Vergori, in addressing his heartfelt thanks to the relatives of the fallen, underlined how unifying their memory is for our country. Keeping alive the memory of all our Fallen – he specified – is a mission of the highest ethical and moral value, which contributes to the consolidation of a civil conscience and to personal and collective growth. The commander of the 187th Regiment, Colonel Mauro Zandonadi, expressed his gratitude to those present, including the relatives of the British victims with a representation of the Royal Air Force, inviting them to never let the memory and respect for the sacrifice of men who fifty years ago took off on their last mission without returning.