Lieutenant Tosi, while on a mission at Sheppard AFB's Italian Air Force Representation for attendance of the Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program aimed at obtaining a military pilot's license, during a solo sortie, in formation with another T-38 aircraft lost its life due to the collision in flight with the other aircraft.
Brigadier General Scott A. Kindsvater, commander, participated in the ceremony, presided over by the General of Air Division Giovanni Fantuzzi, Defense and Defense Cooperation Officer at the Italian Embassy in Washington, among others. the 82nd Training Wing, and Colonel Lance Bunch, commander of the 80th Flight Training Wing, the aeronautical officer, Colonel Gianfranco Adamo, and the commander of the Operational Group, Colonel Paolo Baldasso, all the Italian personnel present on the base, as well as a large representation of the other nations participating in the program.
After an invocation recited by the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Father Jack McKone, Lieutenant Colonel Minonne, Head of Representation, thanking all the participants, emphasized the generosity, passion and dedication of Lieutenant Tosi, whom he personally met during his previous mandate as an instructor at the ENJJPT program.
Subsequently, General Fantuzzi first brought greetings from the Tosi family and the entire Air Force, and then underlined that from every accident, ideas for improvement and life lessons must be drawn, recalling that "the profession of the military pilot, while magnificent, involves the acceptance of certain risks for its performance and we must all be called upon to play our role in the best possible way in order to improve the operational capabilities and flight safety of our aeronautics ", also highlighting how" [... ] today's ceremony is an important sign of sensitivity and above all a tangible sign of the excellent relations existing between the United States Air Force and the Air Force ". "Our Marco", concluded General Fantuzzi, was "a splendid boy, a son of Italy, a passionate driver, an excellent Officer, the son of a wonderful Italian family".
The ceremony ended with the unveiling of the plaque with the intonation of "silence" by the present honor guard.
Source: RAMI - Sheppard (Texas) - ten.col. Francesco D'Agostino
