The association of fighters and rebels: a memory to be handed down

(To Antonio Di Muro)
25/12/15

From the demobilization of large armies, of the two world conflicts, a surviving mass of soldiers returned, to the civil life, for the most part wounded, mutilated and permanent invalids. In these post-war circumstances it was very difficult to reintegrate millions of men into the economic life of individual countries forced to abandon their work to go to the front. In more extreme cases many veterans did not get the right reward and part of them lived asking for charity. Only with the birth of the association of fighters and veterans did we have the opportunity to create meeting places, where to perpetuate the community spirit of comradeship in war, defend the memory of fallen comrades, help above all veterans and make a strong reforming contribution to the society.

In honor of the homeland, of the former Italian fighters who witnessed the barbarism of the world wars, as well as the fallen who shed their blood to defend our lands, to which we will always be grateful for their extreme gestures, Online Defense participated last Sunday in the inauguration and reopening of an ancient headquarters of the Fighters and Veterans of the two world conflicts, of the Municipality of Giffoni Sei Casali, in the province of Salerno, dating back to 1921, whose headquarters was donated to the Fighters by the Italian-American benefactor Giovanni Cifrino. In this event Pietro Biscardi, national vice president of theNational Association of Fighters and Veterans (ANCR), veteran of the second world war but above all of the period of the 8 September 1943, one of the ugliest events that the Italians lived during the war.

Pietro Biscardi, do you think that the association of fighters today can assume the task of acting to prevent and prevent new wars?

Of course, now armies are armed with peace and it is hoped that there will be no more wars, even if, as you know, wars are born with man. With the reform of the art. 5 of the Statute of the ANCR has allowed the participation of sympathizers in the association, so that the latter have the same rights as the combatants, can above all carry out the purposes of the ANCR, prevent the fallen of the two wars from being forgotten and act in social life to prevent or prevent future conflicts.

Can combatants still participate in the promotion of reforms to renew civil society?

Certainly and by connecting with the answer above, it will be mainly the task of the sympathizers to transmit the ANCR values.

Is it true that in the Great War soldiers, even strangers to one another, came closer to bonds of brotherhood and sacrifice stronger than in any friendship in times of peace?

Yes, this is an established truth. However, it must be remembered that even during the period of compulsory military arrest the boys of Southern Italy were sent to barracks in Northern Italy to allow for greater group integration. This spirit of brotherhood, especially as a necessity, grew stronger among the soldiers on the battlefields.

What were your memories of the war experience and what were your impressions after the end of World War II?

I was part of the Royal Army in the 4 Verona Airport Regiment from February of the 1943 to August of that year. They moved me from Verona to Pescara at the end of August to defend the Adriatic coasts. Following the 8 september armistice of the 1943 I overcame the lines of fire, returning on foot from Abruzzo to Potenza in Basilicata as a straggler and introduced myself to the military district of Potenza of the royal army that hired me to the freshmen office. Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense issued an ordinance providing for a two-month supplementary declaration in the area of ​​operation. In April of the 1944 I was given unlimited leave. When I arrived in Potenza I found a city that had been bombed and people naturally tried to resume civil life, despite the difficulties. With the arrival of the Allies the population was provided with every means of support.

I thank you on behalf of the editorial staff, wishing you better wishes in your task to keep alive the memory of the combatants and veterans.

Thanks to her and best wishes to the new generations of being able to have a destiny different from ours and hope to always be able to live in peace.