Reflections on belonging, pride and respect in the light of the National Gathering.

This evening, at a convivial get-together among “veterans” of the recent Alpini National Gathering in Biella, I was on the receiving end of a remark that made me think. It came from a former Officer Cadet of the Alpine Military School in Aosta (SMALP), in a heated tone and with little inclination to dialogue:
“You’re from the Engineers! You’re not an Alpino!”

The remark stemmed from a comment of mine, made calmly and constructively: that at the Alpini National Gathering you should parade in formation with your own A.N.A. Groups and Sections, not in parallel, unofficial formations, as has been happening for some time – and in particular – with independent groups of former SMALP cadets. A personal position, but one based on what the Statute and Rules of the A.N.A. provide.

And yet that simple observation triggered a reaction as harsh as it was unjustified. Above all, it opened a drawer inside me full of experiences, memories and reflections gathered over more than forty years of National Gatherings lived as an Alpino among Alpini.

In more than 35 National Gatherings I have seen everything, but I have never judged

Over these four decades I have seen an extraordinary humanity parade through the streets of Italy: non-regulation hats, student-style high spirits sometimes a little over the top, ruddy faces after a night in the marquees, improvised choirs, unsteady legs and steady hearts.

And yet NEVER – and I repeat, NEVER – have I allowed myself to judge the Alpini spirit of the person next to me. Because every Alpino carries a story, a life, a period of service – short or long, easy or hard – but always worthy of respect. And if someone wears the hat, he wears it with pride. Nobody has the right to tell him: “You’re not one of us.”

The true Alpini spirit: a matter of spirit, not rank

This evening’s episode, unpleasant and revealing, prompts a deeper reflection:
the true Alpini spirit is not measured in stars, ranks or the schools you attended. It is not born in Aosta and only in Aosta. Because mountains are everywhere.

Being an Alpino means sharing, a spirit of sacrifice, humility. It is the silence of the march, the volunteer’s smile, respect for history and for those who came before us. It has nothing to do with elitist attitudes, with the arrogance of those who feel “superior” because they attended the SMALP. A very important institution, of course. A prestigious training path, without doubt. But not a pass to judge others or to place oneself above them.

When the school becomes a show

Over the years I have watched, with growing unease, the multiplication of independent presences within the National Gatherings. Blocks of former SMALP cadets parade under their own banners, often not in formation with the ANA Sections, sometimes not even members of the Association. Up to this point, we could call it folklore.

But what really jars is the attitude with which some of these former officers treat other Alpini – including those still serving. I have seen people looking down on others, I have caught contemptuous remarks, I have sensed that distance that comes not from a metre’s difference in rank, but from a metre missing in the measure of the man.

And this is where the greatest danger lies: that training becomes a show, that memory turns into vanity, that the Alpini spirit gets lost between pride and presumption.

A view shared even by those who really lived the SMALP

Fortunately, I know many former SMALP cadets – certainly much older and wiser than this evening’s “character” – who fully share this view. They are men who recognise the value of their School, but also the immense value of every single Alpino, regardless of where he did his national service or which corps he came from.

Because it is not the military record that makes an Alpino, but his behaviour.

These are the Alpini I like: the former officers who fall in line with everyone else, who parade discreetly, who are moved when the “33” march plays, who know what it means to “be part of” rather than “stand above”.

The National Gathering should not be a catwalk, but a homecoming

In the end, that is what the National Gathering is: a homecoming. A meeting of hearts rather than of ranks. A river in flood that should carry everyone in the same direction, without detours of ego, without isolated bastions of pride.
Parading with your own Section, beside the friends from your own Groups, is not just a matter of rules, but a sign of belonging, order and respect. Towards the A.N.A., towards those who host us, towards those who watch us with emotion. Above all towards our “veci”, the old-timers who years ago founded our Groups, who worked side by side to build our clubhouses with pride and who now deserve all our respect for having made the A.N.A. what it is today.

In conclusion: we are Alpini when we don’t have to prove it

It is a phrase we should write above the entrance of all our clubhouses: “We are Alpini when we don’t need to prove it!”, when we are Alpini in our actions, in our words, in our respect for others.
We are not “more” or “less” Alpini depending on our military career.
We are Alpini together. Or not at all.

And whoever thinks he can decide who is in and who is out, who is worthy and who is not, has probably lost along the way precisely that esprit de corps he claims to defend so strongly.

Stars can be pinned on your chest.

The Alpini spirit cannot. That is earned every day.

 

See you in Genoa!

 

 

Michele Sacchet

Primo Capitano, Mining Engineers
2nd Battalion Iseo – Bolzano