On May 6, 1976, an earthquake of the ninth degree of the Mercalli scale, with its epicenter between Gemona and Artegna, devastated an area of about 5500 square kilometers between the provinces of Udine and Pordenone. The budget will be 989 dead including 32 soldiers and 242 wounded soldiers, 40.000 displaced people, 20.000 homes destroyed and nearly 80.000 damaged.
The intervention of the Army was immediate, mass and above all spontaneous: after only two hours from the event the first relief columns left and management centers were set up to manage the activities. The military did their utmost day and night without saving energy in recovering and clearing wounded, burial of bodies, health care and food supplies to the affected populations (distributed over 70.000 meals a day).
The Armed Forces found themselves facing an emergency of enormous proportions: 17.872 tents were set up for over 116.000 beds. 2.018 unsafe buildings were demolished, 41 interventions were carried out with explosives for demolition of large buildings; 118.000 square meters were built. between yards and roads, 71 km of sewerage, 266 km of electricity network, 200 km of water network, 110 km of pavements and walkways restored 314 km of reconstructed roads 8 bridges and over 1.800.000 mc. of rubble and 540 mc. of landslides removed. The intervention involved a total of 14.144 soldiers of the Army, 64 tons of medicines were distributed, 2.616 vehicles, 54 field kitchens, 60 water tanks, and as many as 64 helicopters were used so that entire urban areas did not remain isolated above all of high Carnia ensuring the necessary logistical and moral support to displaced persons. The Friulian population was also assisted after the earthquake: the soldiers were used to help the farmers in the work of the fields to allow the economies affected by the catastrophe to leave again.
The intervention of the Army in aid of the Friulian population represented and represents the prodrome of the birth of the civil protection that originated thanks to the work of the extraordinary commissioner for the emergency, Giuseppe Zamberletti.
Not to forget the contribution and the support given by the foreign armed forces: Swiss, Germans, Austrians, French, Americans and Canadians whose pilot captain Ronald Mc Bride must be remembered who during a rescue operation fell with the helicopter in the valley of the torrent Leale in the municipality of Trasaghis.
In its intervention to rescue the population, the Army was assisted by assets of the Air Force which secured the airlift and the Navy with two field hospitals and supplies by sea.
Citizens have never forgotten the contribution made by men with stars. "Friuli thanks and does not forget" is the sentiment still present and rooted in those who lived those terrible moments that in the tragedy have indissolubly strengthened the feeling of profound respect and trust of the population towards the Armed Forces. Unforgettable, a few months after the earthquake, the sentence of a student from Gemona who wrote the following sentence in his notebook: "I, when the earthquake comes, I go to the military tent so I am no longer afraid .."
The Army to keep alive the memory of those who perished in that terrible tragedy and to pass it on to new generations, has been launching, for days, on its website (www.esercito.difesa.it) an initiative entitled "1976-2016: 40 years after the earthquake, Friuli remembers the intervention of the Italian Army" where anyone can leave a testimony, a photo, a simple thought and a memory of those days full of humanity and pain.(friuli1976.esarmy@gmail.com)
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WEAPON/ BODY / SPECIALTY ' |
War Flag decorations Friuli Earthquake 1976 |
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8th RGT ALPINI |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 2 December 1977. The department immediately intervened, with all the staff available, to help the populations of the Val Fella villages most affected by the earthquake of 6 May 1976. Operating in conditions of extreme difficulty and at risk of their own safety, the staff did their utmost in recovering the injured and gods buried under the rubble and in the search for the missing. Subsequently, and for a long period of time, it contributed to providing complete material assistance to the completely destroyed operations of the Municipalities of Gemona, Montenars and Venzone, organizing tent cities and providing for the provisioning of the survivors. The work carried out, which has received the admiration and recognition of the Authorities and the population, has concretely contributed to limiting the damage of the grave disaster and to strengthening the prestige of the Army. Upper and Middle Friuli, 6 May - 15 June 1976. (At the "Gemona" Alpine Battalion) |
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9th RGT ALPINI |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 2 December 1977. Unit seriously damaged in the infrastructure since the earthquake of 6 May 1976, intervened immediately to help the population of the town of Tolmezzo and the villages. Operating in conditions of extreme precariousness and at the risk of their own safety, due to the continuation of the tremors and the collapses, the personnel of the department managed to rescue many citizens buried by the rubble and offer the necessary assistance to the wounded. The work of material assistance to the survivors of the isolated and remote villages and districts of Carnia continued for a long time, organizing tent cities and providing daily food supplies. The work carried out, which has received the admiration and gratitude of the Authorities and the population, has concretely contributed to limiting the damage of the serious disaster and to stop the depopulation of the centers of Carnia, strengthening the prestige of the Army. Zona Carnia, tribute - 30 June 1976. (To the "Vicenza" battalion). |
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5 ° RGT TERRESTRIAL ARTILLERY (LRZ) SUPERGA |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. Employed in relief operations to the populations of the Friuli hardly hit by a serious earthquake, he lavished himself in a timely manner, with fraternal enthusiasm and uncommon sense of abnegation, in the work of removing rubble, helping the wounded and helping survivors. The generous use of all men and available means made a valid contribution to making the consequences of the telluric event less serious. Friuli, 6-15 May 1976 |
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8th RGT TERRESTRIAL ARTILLERY PASUBIO |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. Upon the occurrence of the severe earthquake that struck the Friuli region, he intervened promptly with men and with means to rescue the hard-hit populations. Operating with courage and self-sacrifice and pouring out all his energy, he gave a valuable and effective help to the victims, helping to reduce the damage caused by the tragic event. The work carried out has received the appreciation of the Authorities and the recognition of the rescued populations, strengthening the prestige of the Army. Friuli, 6 - 15 May 1976. |
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3rd RGT TERRESTRIAL ARTILLERY MOUNTAIN |
To the Value of the Army Silver medal - Decree of 2 December 1977. Unit tragically struck in men and infrastructure since the earthquake of 6 May 1976, intervened immediately, with all the survivors, in the work of aid to the population of Gemona. Under the guidance of commanders of all ranks, the staff worked tirelessly for days and nights, operating in extremely difficult conditions and often exposing their lives to obvious risks, due to the continuation of the shocks and collapses, to extract from the rubble the buried alive and, subsequently, the dead. Thus it contributed decisively to reducing the damage caused by the serious disaster. Rejecting the alternation, he persisted in the work of rescue, showing exceptional moral solidity, arousing in the population the most vivid feelings of admiration and gratitude and keeping the prestige of the Army high. (Gemona del Friuli, 6 May - 23 July 1976). |
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4th RGT AVES ALTAIR |
To Civil Valor Silver medal - Decree of 26 November 1980. On the occasion of the terrible earthquake in Friuli, which caused very many victims and considerable damage, the 4th ALE "Altair" group intervened with men and vehicles, lavishing promptly and with commitment in the rescue operations to the victims. Despite the difficult environmental conditions it was used in the search for civilians buried under the rubble, in the emergency room and in the shelter of the numerous wounded, contributing in a decisive way to alleviate the inconveniences and to restore courage and confidence to the affected populations. Friuli, 1976. (At the 4th ALE Grouping "Altair"). |
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5th RGT AVES RIGEL |
To the Value of the Army Silver medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. Army Light Aviation Department dislocated in the area hit by the earthquake, intervened immediately as the main element of coordination of the air rescue operations in favor of the devastated populations. With the use of own aircraft and other flight departments of the Veneto Region. provided to evacuate over a thousand people from the most inaccessible areas; to clear hundreds of wounded; to transport and distribute hundreds of tons of food, comfort items and medicines, to transfer medical personnel to the most damaged and inaccessible centers for other means. The imposing and timely use of available means, the spirit of sacrifice and contempt for danger shown by the crews, often operating at the limit of physical resistance and operational safety, proved to be a decisive contribution in the rescue of human lives, the evacuation of injured e. subsequently, supply of essential materials. Thus he placed himself in the admiration of local populations, receiving repeated manifestations of gratitude for himself and for the entire institution. Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977. |
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7th RGT AVES VEGA |
To the value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978 In a situation of exceptional gravity, he rushed to the rescue of the people of Friuli who had been hit hard by a disastrous earthquake and engaged their crews with untiring and uninterrupted activity in courageous missions carried out essentially in inaccessible and otherwise unreachable areas, providing a decisive contribution to the rescue. of the injured and in the guarantee of priority supplies. Valli del Torre and del Natisone, 6 - 13 May 1976 (At 48 ° sq. Gr. ERI "Pavone"). |
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11th RGT BERSAGLIERI |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. He intervened promptly in the areas of Friuli devastated by the violent earthquake, helping the hard-hit populations with generosity and a high sense of duty. The aid provided, which has validly contributed to making the consequences of the disaster less serious, has received the appreciation and gratitude of the Authorities and the population. Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977. (At the 11th Bersaglieri Battalion "Caprem") |
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RGT LANCIERI DI NOVARA (5th) |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - 4 Decree January 1978 In the immense seismic disaster that struck Friuli, he promptly intervened to help the affected populations, giving himself courageously and with fraternal enthusiasm to human solidarity in helping the wounded and the survivors and removing the rubble. The contribution provided received the appreciation and gratitude of the Authorities and the population. - Friuli, 6-15 May 1976. |
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RGT LANCIERI D'AOSTA (6th) |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal- 4 Decree January 1978 On the occurrence of the severe earthquake that struck the Friuli region, he intervened promptly with men and vehicles to help the hard-hit populations. Operating with courage and self-sacrifice and pouring out all his energy, he gave a valuable and effective help to the victims, helping to reduce the damage caused by the tragic event. The work carried out has received the appreciation of the Authorities and the recognition of the rescued populations, strengthening the prestige of the Army. Friuli, 6 - 15 May 1976. |
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RGT GUIDE (19th) |
Silver medal- Decree of 4 January 1978. In the very first hours after the earthquake in Friuli on 6 May 1976, it reached some disaster places, far from the main roads, organizing timely relief and restoring links with the use of helicopter teams. With courage and generosity, exposing himself to manifest risks of further upheavals, he lavished his efforts to rescue the affected populations incessantly, offering them moral and material support with fraternal participation and a valid contribution to the recovery of indispensable social services. (Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977). |
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RGT GENOVA CAVALLERIA (4 °) |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - 4 Decree January 1978 In the immense seismic disaster that struck Friuli, he promptly intervened to help the affected populations, giving himself courageously and with fraternal enthusiasm to human solidarity in helping the wounded and the survivors and removing the rubble. The contribution provided received the appreciation and gratitude of the Authorities and the population. Friuli, 6 - 15 May 1976. |
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RGT PIEDMONT |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - 4 Decree January 1978 On the occurrence of the severe earthquake that struck the Friuli region, he intervened promptly with men and with means to rescue the hard-hit populations, working with courage and self-sacrifice and pouring all his energies, giving a valuable and effective help to the victims, helping to reduce the damage of the tragic event. The work carried out has received the appreciation of the Authorities and the recognition of the rescued populations, strengthening the prestige of the Army. Friuli 6 - 15 May 1976. |
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10 ° MANUAL RGT |
To the Value of the Army Silver medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. He intervened promptly with men and with vehicles in the areas of Friuli devastated by the violent earthquake, working for several days in a tireless and generous work of relief to the hard-hit population. He faced, with a high sense of duty and in a spirit of human solidarity, imminent dangers for the repetition of earthquakes, helping to reduce the consequences of the disastrous event. The help offered with tenacity and fraternal generosity received gratitude and appreciation, with reflections in the affirmation of the prestige of the Army. Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977. |
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82 ° RGT FANTERIA TORINO |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. When the violent earthquake struck the Friuli, it promptly rushed to the devastated places and, giving courageously and with fraternal enthusiasm to human solidarity, made a valid contribution to the rescue of the wounded and the survivors and to the removal of the rubble, limiting the damage of the grave calamity. The work carried out has received the appreciation of the Authorities and the unconditional gratitude of the affected populations, strengthening the prestige of the Army. Friuli, 6 - 15 May 1976. |
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3rd RGT GENIO GUASTATORI |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. Employed in a rescue operation to the populations of Friuli who had been severely hit by a serious earthquake, he lavished for several days, with generous enthusiasm and uncommon sense of abnegation, the work of removing the rubble, managing to save numerous people who remained buried in the collapses. With high courage he worked in urban areas, where sudden collapses occurred due to the succession of seismic shocks, shoring and demolition of buildings looming on rescuers. Having subsequently been commissioned to provide for the construction of prefabricated buildings for the temporary shelter of the homeless, he underwent a long period of work, in isolated and inaccessible areas, in particularly adverse weather conditions, managing to complete the program at deadline set. Friuli, 6 May 1976 -30 April 1977 (At the 3rd Battalion Genius Engineers "Verbano"). |
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4rd RGT GENIO GUASTATORI |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 2 December 1977 Transferred to the full of men and vehicles in the earthquake-stricken area of Venzone (Friuli) for the construction and urbanization of the buildings destined to the affected populations, he worked continuously for over seven months in difficult environmental conditions. Thanks to the untiring and competent work of the executives and the troops, refusing alternations and rest shifts, he carried out the work planned by the Government Authorities and a series of extraordinary interventions within the time allowed. With his intelligent commitment, widely recognized and appreciated, he has concretely contributed to curbing the depopulation of the affected Municipalities and the dispersion of a precious heritage of cultural and moral values. Valid example of self-denial and of the best civic virtues. Carnia - Friuli, 20 September 1976 - 30 April 1977. (To the 4th Battalion Genius Pioneers "Orta"). |
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5rd RGT GENIO GUASTATORI |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. Employed in relief operations to the populations of Friuli hardly hit by the serious earthquake of 6 May, he lavished himself promptly with high courage and uncommon sense of abnegation, for several days, in the work of removing the rubble, managing to save numerous people who remained buried from collapses. With the rapid assembly of metal bridges, it restored the viability of some isolated areas; with the systematic demolition of severely damaged buildings, the recovery of those that could be recovered and the clearing of the rubble, created the premises for the reconstruction of the destroyed countries. Subsequently, he had the task of providing the construction of prefabricated buildings for the temporary shelter of the homeless in a very short time, he underwent very hard days of work, even in inaccessible and heavily snow-covered areas, succeeding in completing the program by the established deadline . Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977. (To the 5th Battalion Genio Pionieri "Bolsena"). |
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11rd RGT GENIO GUASTATORI |
To the Value of the Army Silver medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. He rushed promptly to the areas of Friuli devastated by the seismic shocks of 6 May 1976, committing himself with tenacious and tireless work to the rescue of the hard-hit populations. In conditions of extreme difficulty, he provided, with self-sacrifice and a spirit of sacrifice, the most urgent demolitions and re-established the roads interrupted by landslides. He also contributed, with generous momentum and without saving energy, to the arrangement of tent cities. Wonderful example of cohesion and human solidarity. Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977. (At the 132nd Battalion Genius Pioneers "Livenza"). |
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8th RGT GENIO GUASTATORI PARACADUTISTI "FOLGORE" |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. Engaged in relief operations to the people of Friuli who had been severely hit by a serious earthquake, he worked promptly, with marked courage and a singular skill, in the work of removing rubble, helping the wounded and helping survivors. The generous use of all men and all available means made a valid contribution to making the consequences of the earthquake less serious. Friuli, 6 - 15 May 1976. (To the 184th Battalion Genio Pionieri "Santerno"). |
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183 ° RGT PARACADUTISTI NEMBO |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. When the violent earthquake struck the Friuli, it promptly rushed to the devastated places and, lavishing with courage and fraternal thrust of human solidarity, gave a valid contribution to the rescue of the wounded and the survivors and to the removal of the rubble, limiting the damage of the grave disaster . The work carried out has received the appreciation of the Authorities and the unconditional recognition of the affected populations, strengthening the prestige of the Army (Friuli, 6-15 May 1976). |
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232 ° RGT TRANSMISSIONS |
To the Value of the Army Bronze medal - Decree of 4 January 1978. In the terrible seismic disaster that struck Friuli on the night of 6 May, it intervened promptly and decisively, realizing, despite the risks of the moment, new radio and telephone connection lines with isolated areas. He also contributed with men and means to the generous and tireless efforts to help the earthquake victims, demonstrating an exceptional spirit of altruism and self-denial. Friuli, 6 May 1976 - 30 April 1977. (At the 232 ° Battalion Trasmissioni "Fadalto"). |
