April 25: Anniversary of the liberation E ' this upcoming event.
The memories that come to us are many and the conversation involves volunteers who have come to visit us AVO
listen Zelina, that voice choked with emotion, recalls that her family was indeed a happy day but at the same time, also of enormous suffering.
Zelina had two brothers who had joined the partisan movement and went to Valdastico near Schio to fight, where, unfortunately, was killed the oldest, Lino.
Lino had barely had time to see the birth of the son of Zelina, Angelo, and she recalls, with shining eyes, he always said:
" Dear sister, your son and you see beautiful, but it is a bit 'ugly. We hope it is true the proverb that says: "ugly Fassi, in Piassa bell."
Was very close to Lino, is understood without words, for this bond so strong, he wanted one of his sons bore the same name of his brother loved so much.
Then, go back to tell the April 25, says she heard the news of liberation from the partisans, who went from house to house to tell.
The sight of the partisans, the mother of Zelina, who had recently learned of the killing of her son, crying even more and said to each one: "I'm glad you're safe, but could be also my son ... .. "
No one could respond to these words, so heartrending and those guys went away with head bowed.
Zelina recalls that they were bad moments, that one could not trust anyone, even if most Germans had fled beyond the Po, trying to return to their homes.
Then he was 23 and had saw war and tried it on her skin all the horrors.
Now I just hope it is not another otherwise it is better to die first.
These are the memories of Zelina, but also a hope, which he gives to all of us, his eyes misty with emotion, and that no mother should suffer as much as her.
Gentile recalls that they were periods when he was just out of the house, there was still fear of the Germans, and in the evening, it was "Filoss" stables , remaining in darkness and in silence, intended to perceive the slightest sound of military boots.
Dante remembers that he was a young man, too young to be drafted, but big enough to go around with friends, doing always keep in mind his mother.
Luckily it had never happened.
April 25 streets in Gualtieri had gathered the band and had an impromptu concert, to be all together to enjoy the moment.
cappelletti So many people had made to celebrate the news, also used from the radio.
Amedea said that there was a strong wind that day and she had gone on foot to Baccanello.
The truck went around giving the news, but when I try to remember exactly who were the men on the truck, you open a fierce debate in which everyone wants to be right.
After everyone has presented his point of view, we agree that the news was brought by Americans and by the partisans.
Back in the speeches of many, that ugly feeling of insecurity and mistrust which influence interpersonal relationships: there were still many fascists around and armed and were afraid of reprisals against their loved ones.
Nazzarena recalls that he was going to the streets that day when an American plane attacked by mistake, a convoy of his own nation.
She was frightened so much that he ran home.
And always in those days, the Germans tried to cross the Po, in every possible way.
Remember the retreat of the Germans, when they stopped to eat in different houses, including hers.
They sat at the table and rested their arms on the chair.
A German wanted to give a horse, which had the markings of the army, his father, also explains how to remove the mark, but his father did not accept.
In those meals at home, so resigned, Nazzarena review the human face of those soldiers, without detracting from the seriousness of the faults that were guilty.
remember clearly and with emotion, eyes blue and desperate of the same German soldier, who was little more than a boy, taken prisoner and loaded onto a truck to be taken to the collection center in the churchyard of that parish, for a moment they had crossed her, recognizing her.
Amedeo Umberto, Nazzarena and many others agree in saying that Gualtieresi have helped a number of German soldiers to desert and hide in those days and close on 25 April when there was confusion and fear.
Women tell of having done so for a hidden desire, which are struggling even now to voice: we pray with all my heart that some other mother, sister, girlfriend, in other parts of the world, have mercy of their loved one and help him, even risking their own safety, as they did with that "enemy" helpless and frightened that they had before.
After the war, many of them had returned to thank the families who had saved them.
How much crying and emotion in those hugs ...
With Elda remember a few episodes of that period, including the massacre of Smith family of Santa Vittoria, where watched from a distance, without doing anything with my friend Celeste.
Elda, militant partisan in the relay, had a regular firearms, which still jealously as a remembrance of the past, but despite this they did not ever use is for a set of favorable circumstances, whether out of conviction.
Dodge in nature, does not tell all the deeds of which was the star and even less mention of the honor that was conferred by General Alexander, at the end of the war, for services rendered and the courage nor the the Italian Republic awarded a medal for actions performed within the partisan movement.
Time flies listening to Elda and fascinates us because it illustrates all the facts without exaggeration and its calm stories do not convey any resentment or hatred.
E 'is an example of high civic education, so rare even today.
and follow each other memoirs Anna F. recalls one of his neighbor, that the passage of a jeep of German soldiers, said: "Bread," in imitation of the imperious tone of many of them.
A soldier spat in his face.
Even Anna B. remembers the days immediately following the Liberation, in which many German soldiers presented themselves at home and asked, often do humble, "Mommy, bread, bread and salami"
Neither she nor her remains unresponsive to these requests and gave what they could.
Onorato moving rhythmically the arm tells us that in his country, the bells were ringing in full peal to alert all of the good news and still hear the chimes festive.
Miles from "Victorian", said that in those days, the partisans came out of the closet, happily embrace.
Also remember a house near the "Bigliani," where there were hidden by the Germans.
They left two supporters from San Rocco di Guastalla, to go to catch them, but in the clash, April 26, had the worst.
Rina still remember the sunny day of April 25: His father was happy about the news of the release and decided to go to Turin to find his son, a partisan in that area .
To get precise directions of where to go, had gone to the house of a comrade in arms of his son, who at the time, was forced to reveal that it was died in combat, six months before and that he had brought home his case, hiding behind the house.
You can imagine the agony of the father, convinced that he could embrace his son, when they had to carry out the exhumation of his body, buried under a tree on a hill in Piedmont.
And, to finish with a beautiful image, Mary our invaluable volunteer, gives us his sweet memory: her house, an American truck was parked , arrived in those days.
I drove a tall, tall, that when the saw her, took her gently in his arms, kissed her cheeks and gave her a carton of chocolate and a can of condensed milk, which she did not even know what it was.
In very broken Italian, he said it reminded her of her little girl while the two big tears streaming down her face.
is for us April 25th is the "Liberation Day", but also the "Day of Resistance" ended a long, dark years of dictatorship, opposed by many of us in different ways.
We walked towards a bright path of democracy, which is not yet complete, but over which care should be well secured.
On April 25, anxiously awaiting the Banda Santa Vittoria to sing, even if only in our heart, the songs on that day echoed in our squares and had the taste of FREEDOM '
The Elders of the CSA: "Happy Wagon"
ASP "project people" Gualtieri