Memorial Day in Florence

Monday, 29 May 2006 was pretty much a routine day in Italy. It being a Monday most of the museums were closed in Florence of course, as are many of the shops, and even some of the restaurants. Mondays are typically an extension of Le Weekend as the French (don’t) like to call it, and so seems a bit slower paced than the rest of the “work week” in Italy.

Anyway we had arranged with to meet Warren and Gladys at a little after 1:00 pm at their apartment near Santa Croce and then go to the American National cemetery which is just a little over seven miles south of the city for the Memorial Day ceremony. We waited a few minutes for one of their friends to join us. The five of us then headed off across the street to the cabstand to grab a taxi out to the cemetery.

This being Florence we all enjoyed a circuitous 20-minute taxi ride out to the national cemetery but it was clearly worth the trip.

When we pulled into the cemetery entrance there was already quite a lot of bustle going on, lots of different military types from at least two countries, as well as members of various military organizations and of course quite a few Americans. Veteran members of the US 10th Mountain Division was there in force, along with their families – as were a large group of Boy Scouts (of America not Italy), more than a dozen Italian veterans’ organizations with their flags of course, plenty of local politicos and naturally the US consul general, the US ambassador to Italy (he was the only one to come by helicopter provided by the Italian “carabiniere”, or national police), generals from both US and Italian armies as well as US and Italian army units, a brass band, and plenty of Italian civilians, all here to set the stage for laying of wreaths at the Memorial. There was even a small group of Italians and one Belgian who are WW2 US Army reenactors!

The day had begun overcast and frankly we thought rain might be headed our way, since it looked quite dark to the south. But then the Florentines always think it looks dark toward Siena so we didn’t put much stock in what things “looked like”. And anyway this being Italy it always changes – the weather I mean, and in fact it almost always changes from overcast to sun chronologically: that is from morning to afternoon. And so it did today.


Since we got to the cemetery about an hour before the service was scheduled to start we all wandered around the grounds, strolling among the stones. We mingled with many of the other visitors, some of whom, like the veterans of the 10th Mountain Division, had come to pay their respects to the more than 400 of their comrades who lay buried there. (photo: Warren checking out a name and Susan strolling.)


The cemetery is quite striking; very well laid out, and artistically appealing to our sensibilities, the sweeping arcs of the rows of stones were most engaging to the eye, and meticulously maintained. The some 70 acres of beautifully manicured green and tree-lined open space sloping gently down from a thickly wooded hillside to the Greve River is truly a spot of peace and tranquility. This is certainly a perfect place to honor the memory of the 4,402 men and women who rest there, most of whom perished during the last 8 months or so of the Second World War. Included in the burials are five pairs of brothers buried side-by-side. Construction on both the cemetery and memorial were completed in 1959.


The Memorial service began on time, with the posting of the colors and then the opening prayer by Mons. Luigi Mora, Chief Italian Army Chaplain for Tuscany. This was followed by followed by the US ambassador to Italy, Ronald Spogli, Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker, the Lord’s Prayer read by three daughters of deceased soldiers buried in the cemetery and then a few words from John Duffy, president of the 10th Mountain Division Association. There were a few words by Italian General Luigi Colaneri and then the laying of the wreaths by some 14 different groups from the Florence area.


A choir from one of the local churches sang “Amazing Grace”, and prayers were read by Dr. Joseph Levi, Head Rabbi of the Florence Jewish Community and Chaplain Charles Barnam who is stationed with the US Army garrison in Livorno.

The US Army’ rifle squad from Vicenza provided the traditional 21-gun salute, which was followed by the playing of Taps, then the playing of both Italian and American national anthems, and the raising of the flags from half-mast to the full-mast.


After the ceremony as everyone dispersed many turned their attention to the stones once again. It was clearly an opportunity for many of the old veterans who were there to pay what may very well prove to be their last respects to those veterans who will be forever young.

And you could see the old gentlemen with their list in hand,
moving from section to section,
each one or two trying to find a name or two
of someone they remembered
from that day or two more than 60 years ago,
but like it was today.

It was a great day to be alive, the sun out at last, and walking among such evocative symbols of sacrifice in such a beautiful garden of stone.


Eventually of course we had to go. We said good-by to Warren and Gladys as they caught a ride back to the city with some friends – the tiny car would only hold four – and since we wanted to stroll the grounds for a bit longer we thought we would just take the bus back. Which we did of course.