Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacques-Laurent Jean-Gilles | 200911-N-LJ375-1078 NISSORIA, Italy (Sept. 11, 2020) Service members from Naval Air...... read more read more
On September 11, 2020, Service members from Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella and Italian nationals participated in an annual ceremony in Nissoria, Italy, to commemorate the terrorist attacks 19 years ago.
On September 11, 2001, four consecutive terrorist attacks by the terrorist organization al-Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 people and injured another 25,000. Hijacked planes felled the iconic Twin Towers in New York City and also damaged the western side of the Pentagon in Arlington, VA.
“The attacks were one of the most horrible things to have happened in recent history,” said Armando Glorioso, mayor of Nissoria. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought I was watching a movie.”
Vincenzo Di Fazio and Salvatore Lopez, two men from Nissoria, lost their lives that day at the World Trade Center.
“I took it very personally because Vincenzo and Salvatore were relatives of mine,” said Mario Chiara, a Sicilian-American. “My brother also worked on the 107th floor, but he happened to home that day planning his wedding, which was due to be on the 21st at the World Trade Center.”
One year after the attacks, Chiara, his father, and the former mayor of Nissoria, dedicated a plot of land to the memories of the Nissorian men and the other victims, naming it “Parco 11 Settembre” (September 11th Park).
Parco 11 Settembre was one of the first public places in Europe dedicated as a memorial to the attacks.
“We Sicilians already have a close bond to the United States,” said Glorioso, “but we Nissorians feel particularly attached to the tragedy and the United States following the loss of our loved ones.”
Sigonella service members and the locals walked through the 3000-person town to reach the memorial, where they raised an American flag and laid a wreath on a plaque at the memorial. This year’s memorial was affected the coronavirus pandemic. Normally, this public event is full of local spectators, but this year’s ceremony was kept private and limited to mask-donning service members and local authorities.
“The presence of American service members here today is important because it shows solidarity between our local communities,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher Aiu, a Los Angeles native assigned to Maritime Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 deployed to Sigonella, Italy. “They lost loved ones, and we lost loved ones. It brought me closer to the community after realizing how small the world is and that we share the same pain.”
The remembrance of the attacks was also important to Italians in attendance.
“Even in Italy, remembering September 11th is important,” said Rosario Colianni, Nissoria’s deputy mayor. “The entire world was reminded that we must remain vigilant because evil exists.”
The coordination of this annual memorial not only honors those who lost their lives, but also strengthens the bond between NAS Sigonella service members and the local Sicilian community.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2020 06:52 |
| Story ID: | 378884 |
| Location: | SIGONELLA, IT |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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