Olgiate Olona, June 26, 1959 - Commemorative events (2011)

Commemorative events of June 26, 1959

• Rewarded in 2011 with medal of the President of the Italian Republic •

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June 26, 2011 - The students of junior high school of Olgiate Olona - authors of ten finalist works - open the cortege to the memorial carrying the flags of the Countries of origin of the seventy immortal lives

June 26, 2011 - From left to right: the president of Comitato 8 ottobre per non dimenticare committee Paolo Pettinaroli, Olgiate Olona mayor Giorgio Volpi and vicar deputy prefect of Varese Andrea Polichetti

June 26, 2011 - Authorities and representatives of Comitato 8 ottobre per non dimenticare committee in front of the stone in memory of the victims of Milan-Linate air disaster of October 8, 2001

Commemorative events 2011

A logo for the commemorative events of the seventy immortal lives was created.
At the commemoration of June 26, 2011 the Municipality of Olgiate Olona invited the Comitato 8 ottobre per non dimenticare (www.comitato8ottobre.com) committee which gather the relatives of one hundred and eighteen victims of Milan-Linate disaster of October 8, 2001; an embrace of solidarity occurred between people who care about the seventy immortal lives of 1959 and the relatives - led by president Paolo Pettinaroli - of the victims of the worst disaster in civil Aviation in Italy.
A stone dedicated to the victims of Milan-Linate disaster was unveiled; it has the following inscription: “Onorando le centodiciotto vittime della sciagura di Milano-Linate (8 ottobre 2001) insieme col Comitato 8 ottobre la popolazione di Olgiate Olona questa lapide pose segno di memoria e di solidarietà animate da settanta vite immortali qui libratesi in volo il 26 giugno 1959 e il solenne gesto di fratellanza il Presidente della Repubblica premiò conferendo la sua medaglia nel 150° dell’unità d’Italia Domenica 26 giugno 2011” (translation: to honor one hundred and eighteen victims of Milan-Linate disaster (October 8, 2001), the community of Olgiate Olona together with Comitato 8 ottobre committee placed this stone as sign of memory and solidarity animated by seventy immortal lives here soared on June 26, 1959, and this solemn act of fraternity was rewarded with the medal of President of the Italian Republic in the 150th anniversary of unification of Italy. Sunday June 26, 2011).
This act carried out in the 150th anniversary of unification of Italy and the high value of commemorative events have been rewarded by the President of the Italian Republic Giorgio Napolitano (1925-2023) who gave his medal to the Municipality of Olgiate Olona by means of the vicar Deputy Prefect of province of Varese, Andrea Polichetti, on June 26, 2011.

Many people from Olgiate Olona and the relatives of the seventy immortal lives coming from USA and Italy attended the solemn ceremony, preceded by a cortege from the town hall of Olgiate Olona to the memorial located in “via 26 Giugno”; Olgiate Olona mayor Giorgio Volpi made the commemorative speech; Paolo Pettinaroli (president of Comitato 8 ottobre per non dimenticare committee) disclosed a testimony.
Others attending the commemoration: military authorities, students of junior high school of Olgiate Olona participants in the educational project (performed through a conversation in the classroom and the preparation at home of works inspired to the memory of June 26, 1959) including the authors of ten finalist works (all rewarded with certificate of merit, plus a book-coupon for the first three classified).
Alberto Colombo - in a personal capacity and authorized by the mayor - handed over a special prize to the author of one of the finalist works, because of the particularity of the content and writing.

During the ceremony and before the finalist works were rewarded, Olgiate Olona student in eighth-grade Thomas Billiani was remembered in the presence of his relatives and with their consent. Thomas flew to heaven on February 5, 2011 (five days before the conversation in the classroom) and joined the seventy immortal lives: people of Olgiate Olona address an affectionate thought to him and to those who love him.

(page containing the works rewarded)

Invited by Comitato 8 ottobre per non dimenticare committee, on October 8, 2011 Mayor Giorgio Volpi and Alberto Colombo represented the town of Olgiate Olona at the commemorations in Milan of the tenth anniversary of Milan-Linate air disaster.