Commemoration of the fallen of the "Lyra 34"

10/07/15

On a summit of Mount Zec, west of Sarajevo, a wreath-laying ceremony was held yesterday at the Monument to the memory of the Aviators of the "Lyra34" of the Air Force, which fell on the 3 in September of the 1992 during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

The ceremony was attended by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Hon. Laura Boldrini, accompanied by the ambassador of Italy in Sarajevo, dr. Ruggero Corrias, together with BiH Defense Minister Marina Pendeš. The military attaché at the Italian Embassy in Belgrade, Colonel EI Paolo Pappalardo and the SNR ITA (Senior National Representative), accompanied by the Italian delegation engaged in the Operation ALTHEA mission at EUFOR HQ (European Union Force HeadQuarters) also participated. in Sarajevo by Camp Butmir BiH (Bosnia Herzegovina).

The inscription, engraved in the granite of the monument in letters, reads: "In memory of Marco Betti, Marco Rigliaco, Giuseppe Buttaglieri and Giuliano Velardi Gold Medals to Military Valor, Fallen because they live the others - Skies BiH, 3 September 1992 "And continuing, also transcribed in Bosnian-Croatian and Serbian language:" ... The 46 but Air Brigade, in the wake of a heroic tradition of war and peace, consecrated by the sacrifice of the crews fallen in the fulfillment of duty, wrote pages of stories that constitute a glorious patrimony of military virtues that have given prestige and prestige to the Italian Air Force and to Italy ".

The G-222 aircraft of the 46 ^ Pisa Air Brigade, the "Lyra 34", which transported humanitarian aid to the people of Sarajevo under siege, was hit by two ground-air missiles near the top of Mount Zec where they lost their lives the two officers and the two marshals.

The Italian contingent at Camp Butmir Sarajevo, arrived in December of 1995 with the NATO-led Peace Force (IFOR / SFOR) to enforce the Dayton peace agreement, has been significantly reduced since December 2004, continuing to operate in under the European reconstruction and stabilization force, EUFOR. Italy is present with some officers and non-commissioned officers of the Army and the Air Force both in the command of the EUFOR and in the NATO headquarters of Sarajevo.

The EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia Herzegovina allows to constantly improve the general security level, thanks also to the contribution of the Italian military, leading the country towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration.