From the website "The Shield" Lucca receive and gladly publish the article by Giusti Nazarene
an honor to Alfonso Pardini, the man who saved Lucca
LUCCA, Dec. 11 - There are people to whom we owe so much, everyone. Because with their deeds, sometimes without realizing it, have enabled us to live in freedom, even if they are unknown to most of us. Often the forgetfulness of men, sometimes for their privacy. One of them is definitely Alfonso Pardini who along with three other companions, rescued from the bombing in Lucca program in September 1944.
Today, the Hall of Mirrors Palace Bears, at 12, he was given an award. Better late than never.
"This ceremony - rightly says Lio Michelotti, chairman of the veterans associations - should have been held many years ago, but only a few months ago we learned that one of the four young heroes were still alive."
Pardini, however, by what is reserved and shy person, he never boasted of his business, and after the war he continued in his normal life with his family.
"Today - continued Michelotti - we are an act of duty riparazione.Lucca will always have a place of respect for him and the other three of his companions." Pardini
For health reasons, was not present in person but was represented by Pull over wife Mary Esther and sons Enzo and Laura, who accepted the award with which, the mayor said Mauro Favilla, "the city of Lucca in gratitude, wanted to pay tribute to the courage and the civic virtues and that group of daring that saved the city from destruction. "
were days of anxious waiting as of September 1944. The city walls is occupied by the Nazis, surrounded, are demobilizing. Pisa has been liberated and the Allies continued their inexorable advance unchallenged. The pressure is pressing its German, the work is a fervent patriotic and enthusiastic, after many months of struggle, the Liberation seems close.
the night of Sept. 2, however, the men break into Hitler's Charterhouse Farneta, doing more than one hundred prisoners between religious and civil, who were welcomed and hidden there. Many will be deported to the nearby camps of Nozzano, Camaiore, Massa. A tragic swan song, a last gasp.
hours are excited, the Combat Team after crossing the hole is positioned between San Giuliano and Vorno Pontetetto, about two kilometers from the city. Everything is ready for the final assault. General of the Fifth U.S. Army is ready to bomb the city, to flush out the last German.
"But fortunately - says the historian Paul Bottari - that attack was not necessary because a timely and courageous as providential interevento partisan Lucca training" calm "was able to break the German lines at several points and reach the command sull'Ozzeri American, informing him that the Germans were fleeing to the mountains. " They are William
Bini, Giuseppe Lenzi, Alberto Mencacci (now deceased) and Pardini that (as mentioned this morning the director of the Historical Resistance Lilio Giannecchini) "bravely faced the dangers of shipping bill and also had a gun battle with the German station located on the bridge of the Friars, putting it down" and being able to make contact with the command of the allied troops located in Guam, the colonel informado Sherman (who had already set up four batteries of cannon) insurgency and the future employment of the city by fighting formations.
Sherman, commander of the 370 ° Combat Team, believed their information and decided to suspend the planned bombardment by sending a patrol led by a captain. "This decision - concluded Giannecchini - was essential for the salvation of the city, so Some years ago the two American officers were given honorary citizenship of Lucca in the memory. "
The first patriots Lucca revelers had already entered the city a few hours ahead of the entrance of the men of Captain Gandy. Anticipation of the entry 'U.S. Army on Tuesday 5 September. A historic day for Lucca.
But the war was not over yet.
A little more than thirty miles, following in reverse the Serchio River, passing it the Gothic Line, the last bastion of the Axis forces. Followed by a long, bloody winter before the spring of Liberation. Meanwhile
Lucca was free. Its people, its buildings, its churches, its saints, its traditions were prejudice grazie al coraggio di uomini come Pardini.
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