CELEBRATING SIXTY YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AMERICAN AND ITALIAN
On July 3, 2015, the Commander of the 31st Fighter Wing, Brig. Gen. Barre R. Seguin, to celebrate the SIXTY years of successful partnership between American and Italian at Aviano AB, organized an evening event involving the Leaders and Staff of the Wing, the Italian Air Force and Italian Friends in form of associations, institutional representatives and single individuals. For the occasion in hangar #3 was set up a static display including an F-16 of the 31st Fighter Wing, an original Tiger Moth DH.82 dated 1942 and a Fokker DR.1 M replica, built from original drawings, both belonging to Fondazione Jonathan Collection Aerei Storici Famosi ONLUS, while the Italian Air Force Airport Command Office, with collaboration of the AAFG - Aviano AB Aviation Friends Group, arranged a photographic exhibition of the US Air Force presence in Aviano AB from 1954 to present day through images and texts retracing the history. The celebration began with the introduction of the guests and singing the National Anthems, followed by the opening remarks of the 31st Fighter Wing Commander, and Maj.Gen. Nicola Lanza de Cristoforis, 1st Air Region Commander. At the buffet style dinner followed the Guest Speaker Brig. Gen. (ret.) Fermo Missarino, former Commander of the Aviano Airport Pagliano e Gori from 1993 to 1996, who retraced his history from the beginning of the passion for the aircraft that continued with achieving the initial drem to became a military fighter pilot (F-104 and Tornado) and successive stages of his career in the Italian Air Force. The evening ended with socializing, dancing and ritual photographs.
Renzo Del Bianco AAFG president
Thanks to the 31st Fighter Wing Company Grade Officer Council for the kind invitation to celebrate with Brig. Gen. Barre R. Seguin SIXTY years of the US Air Force presence in Aviano AB
