"Men and women of Defense,
today, 4 November, we celebrate National Unity Day and Armed Forces Day.
This is not a casual combination, because in what was one of the most difficult moments in our history, in which the same national integrity was seriously questioned, it was the Armed Forces who led the Italian people in that choral, epic and shared effort which led to the victorious epilogue of Vittorio Veneto.
On this day we recall that long season of heroism that made it possible to carry out the great ideals of the Risorgimento, not only with the conquest of natural frontiers and the reunification of the Italian population with the common homeland, but also with the achievement of a cohesion that gave to the Italian identity is the strength of the plebiscite from which it is no longer possible to go back.
Today we meditate on the profound meaning of those values that animated the courageous and dignified behavior of so many thousands of young people from all over Italy; those who shed their blood on the rocks of the Carso, on the Isonzo, on Mount Grappa, on the Piave and on many other fronts and who, in large part, did not even have the comfort of burial.
These are the same values that today animate your daily work, for the good of the country and of the international community, in Italy and abroad, because if the operational contexts, the threats to be faced, the emergencies to face have changed, nothing has changed in the way of acting of those who wear the stars, who remain bound to the same, irrevocable oath of loyalty to the homeland and to the Republican institutions.
On this day, our greatest and most respectful homage goes first of all to those who, in order to remain faithful to that oath, did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives.
My deep gratitude, for the dedication, professional maturity and sense of solidarity that inspire your daily work goes to all of you who are busy right now, both within and outside national borders.
If we put together the things done by the Armed Forces in recent decades, an extraordinary fresco of commitment, ability and humanity emerges that marks in a decisive way the current history of Italy and that has contributed to rooting a deep respect and consensus among the citizens towards your work.
These are the qualities that have made you gain esteem and admiration, in all areas, because they have enabled you to translate that aspiration to peace and respect for human dignity, which is the shared heritage of all our people, into facts and concrete actions .
From the hard-won goals we do not go back, but we look to the future with confidence and determination, there are many challenges to be faced first of all that of the transformation of our Armed Forces clearly outlined by the White Paper for International Security and Defense ". ( photo: SMD)
