Each year on Nov. 4, Italians come together to celebrate Giorno delle Forze Armate, Italian Armed Forces Day, a day of national unity to commemorate the allied victory in World War I and to pay tribute to the Italian Armed Forces, past and present.



This year marks the 91st anniversary of the cease-fire agreement signed by the Austrian-Hungarian forces November 4, 1918, signaling the end of hostilities and the victory of Italy in World War I.



“U.S. Army soldiers are honored to take to the field shoulder to shoulder with our Italian partners in commemoration of the allied victory in World War I,” said Major General William B. Garrett III, U.S. Army Africa commanding general. Garrett and a group of soldiers from SETAF/U.S. Army Africa, a component of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), attended the ceremony at Piazza Signori in Vicenza.



Representatives from the Vicenza military community also attended three other Italian Armed Forces Day events in Monticello Conte Otto, Thiene and Vicenza.



“The sacrifices made by the men and women of Italy, during the Great War and right up to now in Afghanistan and other stability missions abroad, will never be forgotten,” said Garrett.



“The United States and Italy share a long and common history,” he said. “This headquarters alone in Vicenza counts more than 54 years of friendship, partnership and shared interests.”