Mayor Fabrizio Demelas took part in the solemn farewell ceremony in Piazza d'Italia in Sassari for the "Sassari" Brigade, which returned to Sardinia after its mission in Lebanon as part of the United Nations UNIFIL operation.
The ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Chief of the Defense Staff General Luciano Portolano, Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Carmine Masiello, and other civilian, military, and religious authorities. For five months, the "Dimonios" operated in the western sector of southern Lebanon, along the Blue Line, in a particularly complex and delicate context, marked by the resumption of hostilities and a situation of great instability.
A commitment carried out in the service of international peace and security, combining the mission's core tasks with support for the civilian population. The Sassarini also conducted two major interventions to support the civilian population in southern Lebanon, delivering medicines and medical supplies to the local Red Cross, supporting the structures involved in assisting the population and displaced persons from areas near the Blue Line. This initiative was made possible thanks in part to the contribution of the Municipality of Sorso, along with other organizations and associations, including the Region of Sardinia, the Municipality of Uri, the Sassari Red Cross, the Ozieri Lions Club, and the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. In Piazza d'Italia, one of the most solemn moments of the ceremony was the Minister of Defense's awarding of the Silver Medal of Army Valor to the War Flag of the "Sassari" Logistics Regiment for its work in Lebanon.
For the community of Sorso, the day took on an even more special meaning. Among the Brigade soldiers returning from the mission were six fellow citizens of Sorso: Lieutenant Luciano Perandria, Lieutenant Samuele Mulas, Lieutenant Daniele Vacca, Lieutenant Antonio Spanu, Lieutenant Gianni Latte, and Lieutenant Giorgio Mura. "Being in Piazza d'Italia and knowing that among those soldiers deployed were six sons of our community was a source of particular emotion and great pride for me," declared Mayor Fabrizio Demelas. "To Luciano Perandria, Samuele Mulas, Daniele Vacca, Antonio Spanu, Gianni Latte, and Giorgio Mira, I would like to extend, on behalf of the entire City of Sorso, our welcome back and, above all, our thanks. Behind every uniform is a person, a family, loved ones who await and share sacrifices, worries, and responsibilities from afar." Our thoughts and gratitude also go out to them. Through these six of our fellow citizens, I would like to thank all the men and women of the "Sassari" Brigade, who once again represented Sardinia and Italy with professionalism, courage, poise, and a sense of duty in one of the most difficult and delicate international scenarios. For us Sardinians, the "Sassari" Brigade is not just a prestigious unit of the Italian Army. It is part of our history and our collective identity. In the Dimonios, we recognize values deeply rooted in our land: a sense of duty, dignity, solidarity, attachment to one's community, and the ability to face even the most difficult challenges without failing in one's responsibilities.
