A few hours before the start of the National Alpine Gathering in Vicenza – where it is expected there will be around 5 thousand Orobic Alpine troops – the Todeschini family from Valsecca (Sant’Omobono Terme) writes an emotional letter to remember dad Martino Todeschini: exemplary Alpine, tenacious Valdimagnino, passed away eight years ago for a bad illness. Here is the letter below.
Today, May 9, 2024, marks the 8th anniversary of my dad’s death Martino Todeschini and, at the same time, it is the date on which the Alpine troops leave for the National Rally in Vicenza. May 16th will also be his birthday. It was the year 2010 and my father, who had undergone surgery exactly one year ago for an incurable disease, was leaving on foot from Valsecca and went to the National Gathering in Bergamo.
If he were here, perhaps tomorrow he would do the same thing for the Vicenza Gathering. He wasn’t a fan of partying, but the call of the Alpineas much as it has carried out worksstudied during sleepless nights, drawing on his experience as a bricklayer and using his ingenuity. This space in his memory wants to tell, also through his works (structure of bricklayer’s iron rods, mesh and cement), a Proud Alpinea person who is remembered for his goodness, availability and resistance.
The Alpine troops they drink wine (see photo)but not only: they are always available to help others and to fight for a better world. Our “papi” was a warrior and he proved it during his long illness. This letter is in his memory for us (wife Anna, children Nicola, Samanta and Daniele, daughter-in-law Elena and grandchildren Sebastian and Chiara), for his friends, for the people who loved him, but above all for a message of hope. A lot has happened since 2009 that we believe needs to be addressed with Alpine spirit. The words are as follows:
Prayer of the Alpine soldier
On the bare rocks, on the perennial glaciers,
on every crag of the Alps where providence
has placed us as a faithful bastion of our own
districts, us, purified by duty
dangerously accomplished,
we lift our spirits to You, O Lord, who protects us
our mothers, our wives,
our distant children and brothers, and
help us to be worthy of the glories
of our ancestors.
Almighty God, who governs all the elements,
save us, armed as we are with faith and love.
Save us from the implacable frost, from the vortices of
storm, from the force of the avalanche,
let our foot stand securely
on the dizzying crests, on the straight walls,
beyond the treacherous crevasses,
make our weapons strong against anyone
threaten our homeland, our flag,
our thousand-year-old Christian civilization.
And You, Mother of God, whiter than snow,
You who have known and collected
every suffering and every sacrifice
of all the fallen Alpine soldiers,
you who know and collect every yearning
and every hope
of all the Alpine troops alive and in arms.
You bless and smile at our Battalions
and our groups.
So be it.
In particular, our father was devoted to Our Lady of Medjugorje. Well, I think it’s a shame that it was removed military service, for many reasons. The main ones are: sacrifice, courage, devotion and Faith. Therefore, remembering our “papi”, we want to wish all the Alpine troops a good Gathering! And to him too… a good Gathering in Heaven! And always fly the flag!
