General 'Aquila 1' Ferruccio Brandi: the myth beyond the legend

Se c’è un nome che riecheggia nei cieli della storia militare italiana, quel nome è senza dubbio Ferruccio Brandi.

Myth, legend, unique hero, his life was a hymn to courage, determination and sacrifice.

Born in Trieste on 9 November 1920, da Oscar e Virginia Malusà, Brandi incarnava già da giovane le qualità di un leader nato. La sua sete di conoscenza lo portò all’Università di Trieste, dove si iscrisse alla facoltà di economia e commercio.

Tuttavia, il richiamo dell’avventura e del dovere fu più forte: in 1938, In a choice that would define the course of his life, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Royal Army.

Promoted Aspirant in 1939 and assigned to the 152º Reggimento fanteria “Sassari”, la sua ascesa a sottotenente nello stesso anno segnò l’inizio di una carriera straordinaria

Brandi non sarà semplicemente un soldato, ma un simbolo dell’eroismo, destinato a lasciare un’impronta indelebile nella storia della Folgore e dell’Italia tutta.

As a young lieutenant at El Alamein

Detained on active duty, in 1940 attended the parachuting course in Tarquinia, after which he was assigned as commander of III Platoon, 6th Company, II Battalion, of the 187th Parachute Regiment Folgore.

Al seguito della Divisione “Folgore” viene trasferito in Africa settentrionale italiana, dove combatte durante la Battle of El Alamein distinguishing himself in the fighting at Deir El Munassib and Quota 187 (22-24 October 1942) being seriously injured on day 24, hit in the face by a machine gun bullet.

Captured by the British in the course of the fighting, on completion of his stay at the 9th General Hospital of the Cairo was transferred to a prison camp, returning to Italy in March 1945 to continue treatment.

However, his exploits did not go unnoticed, and it was his Paratroopers who strongly demanded and were awarded, after the war, the highest honour, the Medaglia d’oro al Valor Militare on the following grounds:

Commander of a paratrooper platoon, when attacked by a preponderant armoured force, he encouraged and incited his employees with his heroic example to defend the position entrusted to him at any cost. Overtaken by tanks, he gathered the few survivors and led them in a furious counterattack, managing to make the adversary infantry retreat, followed by the armoured vehicles. Again attacked by tanks, with titanic valour, he inflicted serious losses and, having run out of anti-tank ammunition, in an extreme attempt to immobilise them, he threw himself at one of them and set it on fire with an incendiary bottle. In this daring feat, he was hit by a machine-gun volley that detached his jaw. Overcoming his pain, he stood among his men, and with his jaw hanging down, horribly transfigured, he continued to direct them with his gestures, inciting them to the fight, and instilling in them his sublime heroism. With his stoicism and high fighting spirit, he saved the bitterly contested position and, by holding out for several hours beyond human possibilities, he won the admiration of his adversary. His admiring and proud paratroopers demanded the highest reward for him.

El Munassib (North Africa), 24 October 1942

Post-war: Aquila 1 from 1969 to 1973

He resumed his studies and obtained a degree in economics and commerce in 1947, rientrando in servizio attivo presso l’Esercito Italiano nel March 1950, assegnato al 182º Reggimento fanteria “Garibaldi” in qualità di capitano in servizio permanente effettivo.

In 1953 prese servizio presso il Comando Forze Interalleate Sud Europa, frequentando successivamente i corsi della Scuola di guerra e dell’Istituto Stati maggiori interforze.

In 1963, mentre ricopriva l’incarico di Capo di stato maggiore della Brigata di fanteria “Avellino”, viene trasferito su sua a domanda, a Pisa per ricoprire l’incarico di Capo di stato maggiore della Parachute Brigade then in the process of being established.

Between the 1964 and the 1965 continued to hold this position despite the transfer of the Parachute Brigade Command to Livorno. Between 1966 and the 1967 ricoprì l’incarico di comandante della Military Parachute School of Pisa, and between the 1968 and the 1969 that of commander of the 1st Parachute Regiment in Livorno.

Between 1969 and 1973, he was Commander of the Folgore Parachute Brigade.

In November 1971 prende parte all’aviolancio durante la Meloria tragedy.

Il Generale, Aquila 1 in quel momento, è sul C-130 denominato “Gesso 2”. Si occuperà personalmente dell’organizzazione di recupero delle salme del “C-130 Gesso 4” e all’assistenza dei familiari delle vittime.

After retiring in 1983 ricoprì ancora alti incarichi, come quello di Commissario per le Onoranze dei Caduti in guerra e Presidente Onorario dell’Associazione Paracadutisti in congedo, fino a raggiungere il grado di generale di corpo d’armata.

E’ andato avanti il 30 August 2014, in Bolzano, leaving behind his wife, Mrs Frieda Fischnaller.

Ferruccio Brandi rimane un faro di virtù militari che continua a illuminare il cammino delle future generazioni, ricordandoci che il vero valore risiede nell’incrollabile fedeltà ai propri ideali dI Patria.

Folgore Commander Brandi!