13th Meeting of the Lagunari Association

(To Army Majority State)
24/09/19

In recent days, the lagoons celebrated their 13 national gathering in Portogruaro in Eastern Veneto, a land that has fed the ranks of the Amphibious Troops with numerous young people during the period of conscription. The recruitment in fact for the youngest of the infantry specialty was formed for the most part by conscripts born in the territory comprised from Trieste to Rovigo.

Numerous civil and military authorities present including the commander of the Northern Operational Forces, general of the army corps Amedeo Sperotto.

Heirs of the "Fanti da mar" of the Serenissima Republic of Venice, the lagoons are officially born in 1951 with the constitution of Lagoon Forces Sector which had the task of protecting the Venetian coasts of the Venices and the Northern Adriatic from possible amphibious threats from the neighboring countries of the Warsaw Pact.

Today the lagoons are the amphibious component of the Army, they are trained to operate in situations where the presence of land and water constitutes an impediment to the use of traditional infantry regiments.

In this period the regiment is employed in Afghanistan within the mission Resolute Support, which is why the unit deployed during the gathering was made up of lagoons and artillerymen from the 5th “Superga” rocket launching regiment of Portogruaro with their War Flag.

To greet the thousands of lagoons on duty and on leave and the many families who attended the rally, the president of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, the dean in service, General of the Arturo Nitti Division, the president of the National Association of Torpedo Troops (HIGH) Division General (res.) Luigi Chiapperini, the mayor of Portogruaro, Maria Teresa Senatore.

The ceremony opened with the reading of greetings from the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who, in remembering those who sacrificed their lives for the country, wanted to underline how the lagoons represent a qualified and peculiar specialty of the military instrument and valuable component of the National Projection Capacity from the Sea.

The mayor of Portogruaro thanked the Association of Lagoons for the opportunity given to the city to host such an important event that unites institutions and local communities. 

The president of the Lagunari Association, recalling a Latin phrase “Si vis pacem, para bellum”, highlighted the importance of training and essential equipment to "always be ready". In addition, Brigadier General Giovanni Parmiggiani, commander of the Pozzuoli del Friuli brigade, and Colonel Roberto Cocco, commander of the lagoon regiment took the floor, who, via video link from Afghanistan, brought greetings and a fraternal hug from of all the lagoons on a mission in this country.

General Sperotto, in greeting all the staff of the specialty on duty and on leave, stressed that the lagooners have been and still are authoritative protagonists and interpreters, not only at home but also outside the national territory, as in Afghanistan right now, in the context of complex activities to safeguard national peace and stability.

The President of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, concluded the speeches, who on behalf of the five million Venetians thanked the lagoons of yesterday and today for their constant commitment to the community.