The news reports the date of October 28, 2019 and, as usual, the circular was forwarded to the Military Presidium Commands present in the regions by the Defense Staff. A letter that, shortly after registration, was sent hierarchically to all the Commands of the Armed Forces dependent in the various locations, but also to local institutions and civil and military bodies present in the various Italian regions.
From the rumors it would be deduced that from the Ministry of Defense, governed by the 5 September 2019 by the Minister Lorenzo Guerini, it is intended to reduce the staff participating in the celebration of 4 Novembre, from 101 years National Unity Day and our Armed Forces Day.
Proposition in these terms could sound like a coherent containment of public spending, moreover more than shared, but some controversy was not long in coming and has already been leaked.
A huge sacrifice and the pride of a victory
The Great War of the 15 -18 has suffered a painful victory for Italy against the Austro-Hungarian Empire that led to the annexation of the cities of Trento and Trieste; a date the 4 Novembre that will never have to fade, if only to remember the terrible sufferings of a war besides the pride of a victory.
After the defeat of Caporetto on the Isonzo, in the Royal Army it was decided to play the last card alternating General Luigi Cadorna with General Armando Diaz, appointed Chief of Staff of the Army.
A winning change of paintings albeit tragic and perhaps someone will remember a famous sentence by Armando Diaz: "The weapon that I am called to challenge is blunt; we will do it again ".
A conflict that to Italy alone that at that time had 35 millions of inhabitants cost more than 650.000 victims among the military and about 600.000 among the civilians without counting wounded and missing, even if authoritative sources report chilling superior numbers.
Everyone participated under the tricolor
A real massacre which undoubtedly raises questions but which saw soldiers, financiers, civilian volunteers, guards of local firefighters, but also our praiseworthy Red Cross nurses and the Italian Red Cross military corps united on the front.
The Red Cross military corps employed about 10 thousand soldiers while the Red Cross nurses gave their contribution with 8200 units; an indispensable presence if we consider the over 200 field units including the 65 hospitals. The number of losses recorded by the Red Cross was also important, despite bringing aid, care and assistance to the wounded.
At the Redipuglia shrine, as can be imagined, only a part of the victims of the conflict are collected in an eternal homage.
The excluded
From what we learn from the circular concerning the structure for the commemoration of the National Unit, and from the site of the Defense, reporting the date of the 29 October, this year the auxiliary platoons of the FFAA, or of the Italian Red Cross volunteer military corps, or the volunteer nurses, commonly nicknamed, will not be deployed Crocerossine.
From the Defense portal we learn: "The parade will involve an interforce department consisting of 5 battalions, one for each Armed Forces and the Guardia di Finanza".
However, it is not reported whether the departments concerned envisage auxiliary bodies in tow, but it may be useful to consider Milan, where the members of the Red Cross will only perform their institutional duties. A figure that makes us think, considering that in Lombardy, in the bloody fields of Solferino and in Milan in June 1864, the Red Cross comes to life. Perhaps exceptions to what has been issued in the various Italian squares cannot be ruled out, but the inkling is that these are the national 2019 guidelines.
It is good to remember, given the exclusion, that the personnel of the Military Corps is in all respects military and, the Red Cross women are assimilated to military executive rank, Legislative Decree 66/2010 art. 1626.
But there is more, in fact not even the State Police nor the Penitentiary nor the Fire Brigade will have their own camp, as was generally customary on this date.
Of course, some may say that today they are civilian bodies without five-pointed stars, but the history on the Austrian front was written with the price of blood and sacrifice too, when they were militarized police corps.
The parade will see only the platoons of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza, the latter outside the FFAA.
The controversy between history, politics and optimization
To be fair, it must be emphasized that the voluntary military corps and the Red Cross nurses, - Auxiliary corps - as reported in point 3 of the circular, there will be but only to play their role as an institute as health support for the event.
On the possible reduction of costs, the choice of the Ministry could have its own motivation, but it is worth underlining that the voluntary activity within the Red Cross is completely free.
Moreover, the usefulness of the auxiliary bodies in support of the FFAA has always played a crucial role, especially in the new century, a period where even the military health does not sail in good waters. This is one of the reasons why great protests have been fomented among the former employees of CRI, when the Monti government supported the privatization of the institution. A sad page for the Italian sector of the Geneva organization, which saw the dismissal of valid employees and the dismissal of their job as temporary workers. Those responsible for this drastic decision would be the budgetary holes of the old Red Cross, which could hardly be associated with the crusaders.
This picture, which should be presented on the 4 November day in the main Italian squares, does it mean that the Dicastery is following a less respectful direction towards the story that should instead be a stronghold handed down to young people?
We hope to be wrong.
