A healed memory is not a deleted memory

SooToday.com received the following message and accompanying photo today from faithful reader and proud member of the Sault's Italian community, Sergio Bernardo.

*************************** The local Italian community came out in numbers to honour local Italian prisoner of war veterans from WWII. 

News of the event spread, mostly by word of mouth, and in the end, approximately 250 people were in attendance at the Marconi Club Friday night to honour these men. 

Thirteen surviving Italian war veterans received medals from the Italian government for the time they served as POWs in German concentration camps from the years of 1943 to 1945. 

Fifteen others were honoured posthumously. 

Judge Ray Stortini was in attendance to distribute the medals. 

In his address to those in attendance, Justice Stortini spoke to the sacrifices that these men made and referred to them as “nothing less than heroes." 

The Knights of Columbus 4th degree honour guard first ushered family members of the deceased POW’s, and then each of the surviving POWs to the stage to receive their medals.

In addition to the medals, each of those honoured also received certificates from local, provincial, and federal levels of government in recognition of their sacrifices as POWs during WWII.

The medals were made available by the Italian government, through an application process, when international bodies deemed that Italians were treated fairly as prisoners of war during WWII.  

Therefore, they were not entitled to compensation for their time served. 

It has been 65 years since the war ended and prisoners of war were released from Nazi concentration camps.

*************************** Pictured: Surviving POWs receiving medals, from left to right: Calisto Morettin, Domenico Fantini, Domenico Reda, Saverio Pucci, Mario Falsetti Spina, Ettorino Cuglietta, Alfredo Caicco, and Pasquale Bernardo. Members are flanked on each end by the Knights of Columbus 4th degree honour guard.