Memorial Day 2015:
Florence American
Cemetery
May 25, 2015
Written by Cara
One of my last duties as Pax Romana Regent was to attend the Memorial Day ceremonies at the Florence American Cemetery. The official program highlighted Italian - American friendship on the 70th Anniversary of the end to World War II.
The unofficial program brought her in contact with many people, both Italian and American, who volunteer their time to preserve the memory of the terrible cost of freedom and especially to remember those young Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Following are some photos and their stories which captured the highlights of my patriotic day.
Matteo Renzi, President of the council of Ministers of Italy, US Ambassador John Phillips, and Brigadier General John Hort and the US Consul Abigail Rupp addressed those present. In particular, they connected us with the personal stories of the Italians liberated during the war and the young Americans who perished doing it.
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President Renzi asked us all to actively build a world of freedom for his children just as his father and grandfather had for him.
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I thanked President Renzi for his heartfelt speech to the American people in gratitude for the sacrifice of so many young people to liberate Italy. I was told that he had often presided over Memorial Day as the Mayor of Florence. Now as President, he came to honor a promise made to President Obama two weeks ago, during his visit to the White House.
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He was happy to accept a Pax Romana Italian-American flag pin and immediately placed it on his lapel. He was even able to figure out my Iphone and take this “selfie.”
(I didn’t know how to do it, thank you Matteo!)
I gave out several flag pins to the dignitaries including our Ambassador, and representatives from various US and Italian community groups that I met during the day.
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The color guard included both the Italian and American flags and anthems. There were representatives attending from the American and Italian armed forces, veterans’ groups, and the Boy Scouts.
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This is the grave of Maj. John Compton. Pictured is a couple who travel twice a year from the region of Emilia Romagna to place flowers on his grave. They wanted to tell me his story.
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The soldier’s father had decorated his grave traveling each year from America until he was 92 yrs old. In his old age he wrote the the town priest where his son had died. The parish priest of Carpi agreed to continue decorating Compton’s grave on Memorial Day, and did so faithfully every year until his own death. Now members of the town of Carpi have taken up the tradition and continue to lovingly place flowers in gratitude to the American son who gave his life, and the father who kept his memory alive.
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They are sending our Chapter a book that tells this private story of Italian - American friendship.
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Pax Romana Chapter donated a commemorative wreath in memory of the service men and women who lost their lives during World War II. It is pictured here at center between the Master of Ceremonies Cardenas and the Italian Carabinieri Guard.
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I asked that it have the DAR colors of blue and white and it was lovely with Hydrangeas, irises, white roses, and Gerbera daisies. The ribbon was gold and white and stated Pax Romana Chapter NSDAR
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Pax Romana is very thankful to have been able to represent the Daughters of the American Revolution and donate a wreath at this National ceremony for the last three years.
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Several Florentine dignitaries and members of the Italian Ministry of Defense attended. Here is the Mayor of the town of Impruneta, Alessio Calamandrei, where the American Cemetery is located. He told me that President Renzi grew up close by. There are 4,402 American soldiers and nurses buried here.
Pax Romana Chapter presented a DAR flag certificate to the superintendent of the Florence American Cemetery, Mr John Luncheon. He has organized the ceremonies for several years and has always provided VIP seating for Pax Romana.
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I also personally thanked the US Consul. She was very kind and explained that this year was especially complicated due to the presence of our Italian head of state and the US Ambassador John Phillips.
I met these two ladies who were traveling from the Texas DAR. They knew all about Pax Romana Chapter and had followed Mrs Young’s visit to Italy last fall.
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They were very proud to see that the Chapter had donated such a beautiful wreath, took many pictures thanking me for being there to represent the DAR in Italy on Memorial Day. They promised to tell their Chapters back home all about us.
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On my way out, this gentleman with the cane stopped me and brought me to this memorial. He is Umberto Magnani from the town of Livergnano di Pianoro near Bologna. He is the director of a World War II musem and archive. The statue pictured was originally placed in 1945 near his town, where 3,000 American soldiers lost their lives trying to pass the terrible Gothic Line. When the American Battle Monuments decided to move it here to the Florence Cemetery, his town commissioned a replica to keep the memory alive. He is actively documenting the events that took place at his Museum’s Centro di Ricerca. With him were a mother and her son, Jeffery Wotherington, who had traveled from New Mexico. Her father had fought near Carpi while deployed in Italy.
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It was an honor for me to represent the Pax Romana Chapter at this event and meet so many people joining together in sincere gratitude. I found historical preservation, education and patriotism alive and well in Italy!