Thursday, XXV Aprile, 2019
As Joltin' Joe DiMaggio pointed out to me today, there are only . . .
. . . more days left until Laurie
invades Italy again!
Speaking of invasions, today was a National Holiday in Italy, Liberation Day. It celebrates the agreed upon date in 1945 that the occupying Nazi Germans and Italian Fascists were finally driven out of power by the Allied forces once and for all.
After World War II was over, the Italian government decided that the 25th of April would be the somewhat arbitrary date for this celebration. The final end to Nazi and Fascist rule in Italy took place a few days before and after this date in various parts of the Boot but XXV Aprile was picked as Liberation Day.
Not all right wing leaning, modern day Italians are wholeheartedly behind this holiday except for the day off from work and possible community meals of gargantuan proportions of course.
Italian gun toting Partisan Women
back in 1945
The Official Liberation Day festivities in Varese started at 8:30 a.m. with . . .
. . . a special Liberation Day
Mass celebrated at the
Basilica di San Vittorio
I attended the Mass in Varese's
finest church in my opinion
After the Mass, people were assembling outside of the Basilica for the start of the 9:15 a.m. Liberation Day Parade.
There were people on both sides of
the archway dedicated to
Varese's Fallen Heroes
Banners exiting the Basilica
A wonderful Alpini veteran's
feathered hat
A good looking banner indeed!
Here come the dignitaries . . .
. . . to lay wreaths by the names
in the first of three Varese spots
dedicated to the WWII dead
Virtue and Glory
Can't be a real parade without
a Marching Band
The Procession to Varese's second
WWII heritage monument begins
Marching through the streets
Another Alpini veteran
At the Piazza della Republica
More Military Music
A second Varese monument
to the war dead got its wreath
We were then off to our final destination.
The Resistance Monument
A final wreath and the parade was over
It was a lot of Pomp and Circumstance to be sure this morning.
News from this coming June's
Two-Day Venom Football Camp
To review, the Skorpions are co-hosting
this event that features the NFL's
Chicago Bears Coaching Staff
The news you ask . . .
The Venom Camp will be held in
Varese's spacious calcio/soccer
Stadio Franco Ossola
This will be a great venue for our camp!
In the evening, because of the National Holiday and the predicted rain, the Flag teams did not practice.
With a big game against the DII #8 ranked, 3-2 Brescia Bengals on the road Saturday night, the Prima Squadra did not have the luxury of a day off.
We had a good turnout tonight!
Over 30 Skorpions were on hand by the time practice got going.
The effort and spirit were
both good tonight
Practices like tonight's remind me that . . .
It's GREAT to be a Skorpion!
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