Witness of truth, pain and hope: Carlo Calcagni gathers Locri's embrace
More than just a lecture: on Thursday evening in Locri (Reggio Calabria) a touching and powerful testimony was brought to the public, that of Colonel of the Italian Army Honor Roll Carlo Calcagni, a living symbol of courage, resistance and dignity. The meeting was attended by citizens, institutional representatives, civil and military authorities, and proved to be a page of true life connected to the’soul of a man who never stopped fighting.
The meeting was attended by citizens, institutional representatives, civil and military authorities.
A victim of duty, wounded and maimed for his service during the NATO international peacekeeping mission, under the auspices of the United Nations, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, successfully completing all the flying missions entrusted to him, performing the noblest of community service, namely saving lives, Carlo Calcagni fights every day against a degenerative disease caused by exposure to heavy metals and contracted while serving in the Balkans.
And yet, his most painful battle is not only that against the physical ailment, but also and especially that against indifference, bureaucracy and the silence of institutions. Soliciting strong emotions and making the heartstrings of all present vibrate was also the touching statement of the Reggio Calabria provincial delegate of the National Institute for the Guard of Honor at the Royal Tombs of the Pantheon, Giovanni Guerrera, who commented on the Colonel’s presence as follows: “It was a truly unforgettable evening that we experienced last night on the occasion of Colonel Calcagni’s visit and the recounting of his ordeal of grief over the vicissitudes related to his most noble figure as a high officer of our Army”.
“Excruciating pain – he added – immense and not only because of the inhuman conditions of the disease but, I believe, even more painful the bureaucratic-administrative one that his person, his dignity as a man had to and must face for the recognition of having fulfilled his duty. Incredible and gruesome at the same time. I said in my brief remarks that he is a hero three times over: in the professional, human and sports fields. But I believe I miscounted in that the Colonel is a hero on all the many fronts of his battle fought as a living being on planet earth. He is a hero because he bared his very strong willpower, his indestructible fiber, his immense and boundless faith in God. I believe that in his place, using military jargon, we would have surrendered at once, and for much much less, to such bad, aggressive and cowardly enemies to fight. Symbol of strength, of courage of endurance, in a single flag carried forward with head held high and embodied by a man who fights, believes and masters his command action in spite of everything: in spite of seeing the world come crashing down on him. How can one define such a man? Hero? Giant? Alien? Everything in his presence is reductive”.
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At the conclusion of the meeting, Colonel Calcagni’s message went directly to the younger generation: “Dear young people, dear friends,
do not let others write your history. Do not follow those who shout the loudest or those who promise easy shortcuts. True strength lies in consistency, sacrifice and responsibility. Today more than ever, in a world that runs frantically aimlessly and is lost in the efficmeric messages and false and deviant myths of social media, you need to regain the courage of the essential. Be warriors of light, even when everything around you seems dark. Be an example, even if diversifying from the masses costs toil, isolation, loneliness. Be the change you expect from others”.
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“Engage yourselves. Struggle. Study. Listen – added Colonel Calcagni -. Value real things: family, genuine friendship, respect, duty. Do not be afraid to fall: every fall, if faced with dignity, is a lesson in life. I am living proof of that. And always remember this: it doesn’t matter how difficult the battle is, but how much you are willing to stand up for what you believe in. To all of you guys, I deliver my motto: Never give up , despite everything and everyone, no matter what it takes. Because only those who do not give up … have already won”.
