This is a translation of the narration of the slide show presented to us during our September 2000 visit to Roccalbegna. The translation was prepared by Stefania and given to us by Andrea the day before the slide show.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My name is Sara, I am that girl at the bottom.....

"This year, together with my schoolmates, I dealt with a very special project, that made me think the consequences of war over".

We tiptoe in the life of our friend Michael and got slowly involved in his researches, emotions and pain.

Michael, son of Eugene, grew up without knowing his father, since he got missing during the campaign of Italy in the Second World War.

His stepfather and mother helped him to get over his sensation of abandonment, but through all those years, Michael's pain of not having known that young soldier, who only 23 had to leave his newborn child to fight a far war, never left him.

After long investigations, Michael finally learned for certain that Eugene and his fellow-countrymen crashed in the surroundings of the Municipality of Roccalbegna.

Go to Roccalbegna and place a memorial tablet in the point where the plane crashed became for Michael an irrepressible priority.

On 12th October, 1996, Michael and the inhabitants of Roccalbegna recalled all the fallen soldiers of the Second World War and prayed on his father's memorial tablet.

My friend Michael is an important reference to me to understand the horrors of war.

For those one who lived it through and for those ones, who like him suffered from it, the war has always the same meaning:

FEAR, PAIN, DEATH

The territorial conquest wars, the civil ones and the ones due to religion as well as all uprisings are always declared and "led" by the powerful figures of the world.

This led us to ask an essential question:

"Can young people prevent wars?"

A parachute is turned into a wedding dress for "Mary"

The plane nacelle enters the houses and is turned into kitchenware and work tools.

The death of six young guys, like us, is turned into love and protection of life.

We would like to thank our friend Michael because he set an example for us, that helped us to think the great importance of family love over.

We also thank the authors of the songs "The rainbow", "Someone like us" and "My name is never again", that supplied us with the starting points to think the wars, that still today tear the world to pieces, over.

Thank you to all the grandfathers living in Roccalbegna, who supplied us with many testimonies about the Second World War, and a special thank to VEZIO, ALDO and ELIDO that answered our questions very nicely.

Thank you to our teachers that walk along with us through all this very special experience.

But above all, thank you to our parents that taught us solidarity and respect for all people in the world, this making CITIZENS OF THE WORLD of us.

The love of our parents helps us to grow up without fears because we feel loved and protected.

But only the solidarity among the peoples of the world will lead us into a future of peace and freedom.

Michael left saying that he could finally go back home in peace, because he knew his father's soul was resting among these mountains and people.

Michael told us: "Remember the sacrifices of so many young guys, learned from the the lesson of the war terrible reality".

Only that way my father and his fellow countrymen will not have died in vain.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My sincere thanks to all the wonderful children, and their teachers, who worked so hard to put this presentation together.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Return to my Italy 2000 page

This page last modified 11/07/00 01:04 PM