Sicily Remembers

By Staff Sgt. Elissa Pedelty, SPMAGTF-CR-AF 19.2 and Janine Scianna, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

Throughout the island, Sicilians empathize with the attacks on the United States. Many see them not as an insular attack on the country, but as a metaphorical attack on freedom and the western world. But Nissoria, a small town of less than 3,000 people in the province of Enna, has a pointed connection to the attacks. Two of their own were working in the World Trade Centers that fateful day and died when the towers collapsed.

In Nissoria stands the “Parco 11 Settembre,” one of the first public spaces in Italy dedicated to the September 11th attacks. Mario Chiara, who at the time of the attacks was a Sicilian-American living in New York, is the man behind the memorial. A twist of fate caused his cousin, who worked at the towers, to be late getting to work that day, which ultimately saved his life. Since then, Chiara and his family inspired the former mayor, Marco Murgo, to establish the memorial in remembrance of the Nissoria victims, Vincenzo di Fazio and Salvatore Lopez.

Every year, the town of Nissoria holds a joint ceremony with NAS Sigonella service members to honor the Sicilians and Americans who were killed in the attacks. This year, Marines deployed with the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force, Crisis Response—Africa unit and Sailors deployed with Patrol Squadron (VP) 9 were invited to participate.

Mayor Armando Glorioso and Deputy Mayor Rosario Colianni, alongside town citizens and Sigonella service members, walked through the town to the memorial, where they raised the American flag and laid a wreath upon the memorial plaque. It was obvious through this joint ceremony that the attacks reached far beyond American soil, touching remote corners of the world like this rural Sicilian village.

“Eighteen years later, the world is still grappling with the dire consequences of the 9/11 deadly attacks. That is why, as we get on with our lives, we should never forget the victims of this terrible attack,” Glorioso said.

Nissoria also guided the ceremony attendees through the town’s agricultural museum and hosted a traditional Sicilian four-course meal. At the end, a cake with both the American and Italian flags was cut and served. Altogether, this somber occasion ended up reminding everyone who attended that the joint mission of sustaining peace transcends our two countries’ borders.