Yesterday afternoon in Milazzo, in the presence of the religious, civil and military authorities, a representation of soldiers from the Carabinieri Company of Milazzo and the sections of the National Carabinieri Association of Milazzo, San Filippo del Mela and Barcellona, the commemoration of the 52nd anniversary of the killing of the Carabinieri with the Silver Medal for Military Valor Antonino Pirrone and Antonio Arnoldi, who fell in the line of duty on 24 May 1972 in Milazzo, was held .
The ceremony, promoted by the Carabinieri, the Municipality of Milazzo and the Section of the Association of Carabinieri on leave from Milazzo, named after the two fallen Carabinierisaw the placing of a laurel wreath on the commemorative plaque which commemorates the sacrifice of the soldiers who perished near the intersection between Via Migliavacca and Via Col. Magistri, and, subsequently, the celebration of a Holy Mass in remembrance at the Church of Sacred Heart, concelebrated by the Parish Priest Father Dario Mostaccio.
The events that happened
On May 24, 1972, the two soldiers were victims of the homicidal madness of an individual, seized by a fit of madness who, armed with a semi-automatic hunting rifle and numerous cartridges loaded with buckshot, with a bicycle, had the intention of reaching the barracks and kill as many soldiers as possible. Around 10.30 am in via Migliavacca, the man, seeing the approach of the car radio of the Radiomobile Unit of the then local Carabinieri Tenenza, composed of Officer Pirrone and Carabiniere Arnoldi, signaled to the soldiers to stop and, at the moment in which the military vehicle pulled over, took up his rifle and repeatedly fired at the vehicle, hitting the two soldiers.
The two Carabinieri, despite being seriously injured, managed to get out of the military vehicle. Carabiniere Arnoldi, with his last remaining strength, took out his service weapon and pointed it at the assassin, who, realizing the soldier’s reaction, without any hesitation turned his rifle against the Carabinieri again, hitting Carabiniere Arnoldi. Officer Pirrone spent his last remaining energy to alert the Milazzo Carabinieri Operations Center and thus allow the intervention of his fellow soldiers who neutralized the madman.
On 1 February 1973 the President of the Republic awarded the “Silver Medal of Military Valor” in memory to the two Carabinieri who fell in service, with the following reasons:
- Pinned Antonino Pirrone: “Car radio crew chief of Nucleo Radiomobile, mortally wounded by two rifle shots treacherously fired at him by an individual seized by an excess of madness, who had seriously injured the military conductor and was threatening to reach the Army barracks with criminal purposes, with superhuman He tried to resist the fury of the murderer who managed to escape him. In a last desperate, generous impulse, before falling lifeless, refusing help from those present, he activated the Operations Center with the on-board radio, which implemented the necessary decisive intervention. Admirable example of exceptional altruism, high sense of duty and uncommon military virtues.” Milazzo (Messina) 24 May 1972;
- Carabiniere Antonio Arnoldi: “Car radio operator of Nucleo Radiomobile, seriously injured in the head by a rifle shot treacherously fired by an individual seized by excess of madness, who had mortally wounded the crew chief and was threatening to reach the barracks of the Carabinieri with criminal intentions, took out his gun, with superhuman effort he attempted an extreme reaction against the criminal, but, at the end of his strength, he fell unconscious to the ground. In hospital, before dying, giving a further demonstration of a high feeling of camaraderie, he asked to know the fate of the crew chief, anything else serious that had occurred and whether the madman had been brought to justice. Admirable example of a high sense of duty, exceptional altruism and uncommon military skills.” Milazzo (Messina) 24 May 1972.
