Yesterday afternoon, at the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta in Aquileia, in the presence of the Army Chief of Staff, Corps General Pietro Serino, the funeral of General Gianfranco Ottogalli, officer of the Army of the Genius and former Army Chief of Staff, who passed away on 24 October.
The funeral, officiated by the parish administrator of the Basilica, Fr Mirko Franetovich and the parish priest, Fr Adelchi Cabas, was attended by the Minister for Relations with Parliament, Senator Luca Ciriani, Senator Francesca Tubetti, the Honorable Emanuele LoPerfido, the mayor of Aquileia, Emanuele Zorino, the vicar of the Prefect of Udine, Dr. Giovanni Maria Leo, the commander of the Northern Operational Forces, general of the army corps Salvatore Camporeale, the councilor for Local Autonomies of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Pierpaolo Roberti, the councilor of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Franco Mattiussi, and other military and civil authorities, who wanted to gather around family members.
General Serino, after expressing his condolences to his family, wanted to add a personal memory of General Ottogalli: “As Army Chief of Staff he highlighted in my eyes and those of all his collaborators three extraordinary characteristics: firmness, kindness and affection.
He called us 'his boys'. A year ago, in the same way, in the cemetery behind this extraordinary Basilica, for the last time she called me a boy ”.
The mayor Zorino also wanted to emphasize that “General Ottogalli gave prestige to Aquileia but, despite this, his great humility allowed him to live in a jovial way what was the sense of“ community ”... as mayor and as a friend I learned a lot from him.
Today, October 28, 101 years ago, in this Basilica Maria Bergamas chose the body of the Unknown Soldier and General Ottogalli deserves the credit for having worthily remembered the memory of this event in past years and, in particular, last year on the occasion of the centenary ".
General Ottogalli, born in Aquileia (Udine) on August 26, 1938, attended the Military Academy of Modena.
Officer of the Corps of Engineers, during his career he has held various positions at home and abroad including commander of the School of Engineers, commander of the "Gorizia" Brigade, Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, and Chief of Staff of the Army from 2001 to 2003.
To pay homage to the general officer, an escort of honor composed of: Music of Ordinance of the "Pozzuolo del Friuli" brigade, War Flag and training battalion of the 3rd genius sappers regiment with the help of a company of the 8th Alpine regiment and a company of the 32nd tank regiment, who accompanied the entrance and exit of the coffin.
