Army: celebrate the funeral of the two officers killed in a helicopter accident

25/01/14

Today, at the Fabbri airport, home of the 1 "Antares" regiment of the Army Aviation in Viterbo, the funeral of the Army Aviation Commander, General of the Corps of Giangiacomo Calligaris, and of the Pilot Captain Paolo Lozzi, who died on January 23 following an accident on board an AB 206 helicopter during a training flight in Viterbo.

The ceremony, officiated by the Ordinary Military Archbishop for Italy Monsignor Santo Marcianò, was attended by the Minister of Defense, Senator Mario Mauro, accompanied by the Undersecretaries for Defense, Hon. Pinotti and Hon. Alfano, the Chief of Staff of the Admiral Defense Luigi Binelli Mantelli, the Army Chief of Staff, General Claudio Graziano and the highest local civil authorities, who gathered around the families of the two officers for a last farewell. During the homily, Monsignor Marcianò recalled "When you it serves as they served, Jesus says, we are blessed, we are happy; we are in that peace for which our soldiers work so much and which we thank with all our hearts ". 

"The great general who has accomplished highly risky missions and the young captain who dreamed of doing them, fall into the humble and loving service of duty." concluded the military ordinary.
 
The Army Chief of Staff, General Claudio Graziano, answering questions from the press said: "Our soldiers have great honesty and great courage, they are ready to do whatever is necessary to fulfill their duty, to serve the Homeland. Many in Afghanistan did it during international operations and our soldiers do it every day, risking training that is always demanding and that in this circumstance has dramatically led to the very painful loss for the Army of the Aviation Commander of the Army and a young Captain ". 
 
At the end of the funeral, the notes of the Silence accompanied the exit of the coffin, carried on the shoulders of colleagues from the army aviation. The ceremony ended with the 'honors to the Fallen' rendered by the armed picket deployed in the square in front of the hangar where the funeral was celebrated.
 








Source: General Office of the Army Chief of Staff - Public Information and Communication Office - Sz. PI