Donnerstag, 28.03.2024 12:16 Uhr

The Alpine troops: angels with feather.

Verantwortlicher Autor: Maurizio Monge Torino, 25.05.2022, 00:08 Uhr
Kommentar: +++ Mixed News +++ Bericht 10683x gelesen
The war flags of the Alpine troops
The war flags of the Alpine troops  Bild: Maurizio Monge

Torino [ENA] Many controversies, many protests but also many appreciation for the National Gathering of the Alpini which was held in Rimini, Romagna, from 6 to 8 May. The Alpine Corps, one of the most representative of the Italian Army, was founded in 1872 and is the oldest mountain infantry corps in the world.

Originally, the Alpine troops had the task of defending the northern borders of Italy from possible invasions by France and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the First World War they were mainly used on the north-eastern border while, in the Second World War, they fought mainly in the Balkans and on the Eastern front where, during the famous Russian Campaign, they also received the coveted gold medal for military valor. At the end of the "cold war" in the 90s, the Alpine troops were mainly engaged in important peacekeeping missions, under the aegis of the UN: in Albania, Iraq, Bosnia, Mozambique, Kosovo, Afghanistan but also in Italy, in public order missions, such as the famous "Sicilian Vespers".

The sense of belonging to the body of the Alpine troops has always been particularly strong among the soldiers who dressed in uniform with a hat and a feather. The attachment to Alpine traditions has led and still leads soldiers and former soldiers to feel deeply united, not only in the military but also in the purely civilian sphere. The intervention of the Alpine troops has been essential in the rescue of the earthquake victims, in the event of any natural disaster and in any place where there is a need for help in case of difficulty. Even in the period of the Covid pandemic, the Alpine troops distinguished themselves in the creation and management of field hospitals and vaccination centers.

This very strong team spirit led the retired Alpine troops to come together in an association, ANA Associazione Nazionale Alpini, which, among the many activities it directs, also has the task of organizing annually in different cities of the peninsula, the famous Annual Gathering of the Alpines. These annual recurrences bring tens, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of Alpini on leave to meet and parade through the streets of the city for 8 or even 9 hours, receiving the tribute and the applause of the ever-large audience that awaits this event all year.

In the days preceding the final parade, the Alpine troops peacefully invade every corner of the meeting place with songs, dances, goliardia always without excess, always putting in the foreground the profound union that distinguishes them. This year in Rimini, seat of the Gathering 2022, the 93rd, after a forced interruption of two years due to the pandemic, we were able to review with pleasure this wonderful party which was attended, in the three days, by more than 400,000 people arrived not only from Italy but from Australia, Brazil, Canada and the United States. Unfortunately, to ruin this event, even if only marginally, there were reports of offenses and sexism that would have involved even a small part of the Alpine troops present.

We look forward to the outcome of the investigations that will inevitably be carried out by the competent bodies. If there are confirmations of these ignoble facts, the National Alpine Association will certainly take the necessary measures and will do everything to ensure that these facts no longer have to repeat themselves, to protect the wonderful public present but also the image of this body never sufficiently loved and thanked for the its activities.

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