Piedmonte San Germano commemorates the 67th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino

Military and international dignitaries at the central piazza to the town's permanent memorial

The Mayor of Piedimonte San Germano thanked the U.S. representatives and presented a commemorative plaque for the U.S. Ambassador

Piedmonte San Germano, May 25, 2011

On Wednesday, May 25 a ceremony was held in Piedmonte San Germano to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino and the town’s subsequent liberation from Nazi occupation. The decorated banners of nearby towns preceded a procession of local, military, and international dignitaries from the central piazza to the town’s permanent memorial, where the mayor placed a laurel wreath on the memorial while a Bersaglieri Rifle Platoon played the Italian, Polish, and American national anthems.  In a solemn ceremony in the central square, the local priest and Polish and U.S. representatives spoke, and history was revived as local “Ciociarian” accents met with their Polish and American counterparts. The U.S. Embassy’s Political Military Officer Bindi Patel, accompanied by U.S. Army Major William Kruft, gave a speech commemorating the sacrifice made by so many young men over half a century ago, and reminding listeners that the same price continues to be paid today by American and Italian soldiers in places like Afghanistan.  The Mayor of Piedimonte San Germano thanked the U.S. representatives and presented a commemorative plaque for the U.S. Ambassador.
 
In a particularly significant moment, prisoner of war Antonio Grazio Ferraro and former Partigiano Sergio Collalti, spoke of the horrors they witnessed as teenagers during the war, and of how they rebuilt their communities and their souls in the following years.  And as details emerged of the enormous human strife countless people experienced during that dark period, one could gaze upon the hills looming over the valley and easily imagine the destruction that took place. Both men have been recognized by multiple international organizations for having dedicated the rest of their lives to promoting Peace.