How Dies an Italian

D

Don Nelson

Joined
Aug 4, 2003
Messages
302
I thought you all might find this moving. For me it was heart-rending and inspirational.

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A few days ago Iraqi insurgents executed one of their Italian hostages, Fabrizio Quattrocchi.

Moments before being murdered, Fabrizio Quattrocchi, who is kneeling and wearing a hood, says, clearly and distinctly, straightening his back that the guards try to keep bent: "I'll show you how dies an Italian!"

He tries to thrash off the hood, but the Iraqi shoots him twice in the head before he can do it
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One of my hobbies is collecting swords in addition to khukuris. I rarely name my swords, but now and then one of them "tells me its name".

I decided that one of my unnamed swords would be named Fabrizio Quattrocchi. It only took a moment as I looked down the row of my unnamed swords, almost two dozen I guess, before one of them spoke to me and said, "I am Fabrizio Quattrocchi."

I hefted the sword and marveled at its clean purposeful lines, its sharp but solid edge, and I felt its positive heft and balance and how it inspires confidence and courage in its handling.

Oddly enough, this sword is unusual in that it has four narrow fullers running down each flat of the blade. The prefix "Qua" in Latin and Italian means "four of something" - Quattrocchi. And the fullers of this blade when held point up, are reminiscent of classical Roman columns.

This sword spoke truth to me - "I am Fabrizio Quattrocchi."

I will never sell this sword. And if I am ever so blessed to be able to display it openly, I will craft a place of honor for it, and every time I look upon this sword, I will remember the courage displayed by the man it is named for.

We seldom can choose the time, place or means of our deaths. But we can almost always choose how we face it. I pray that when my time comes that I face it as courageously as a man I never knew, from a country so far away.

Don
 
My grandfather is from Italy. I grew up fighting in a neighborhood of Irish. It is a great thing to be Italian, in the streets of Chicago.

Hell the Teams thought I was big time goofy! :rolleyes:
 
Hear, Hear! Powerful story - I'm glad you told us of it. ( And the subsequent naming of the sword. )
 
I'm starting to feel something...like maybe a tide is turning. So much courage must have some effect. To think there are brave men in the Age Of Denial.

Don, you're a great writer. Almost as good as an Italian.



munk
 
I'll have to remember Fabrizio, I can't pronounce the last name.


And from the 'what's in a name?' category- I wish the print release had not used the word 'insurgents'. Insugents aren't paid by other nations to come over and join in. Insurgents don't execute civilians. Murderers do.
There is nothing in the Quran that could be stretched to call this justified.

I wish he'd got his hood off. I'd have liked to see his eyes.
A glimpse of an Eagle.

munk
 
munk said:
I'll have to remember Fabrizio, I can't pronounce the last name.


And from the 'what's in a name?' category- I wish the print release had not used the word 'insurgents'. Insugents aren't paid by other nations to come over and join in. Insurgents don't execute civilians. Murderers do.
There is nothing in the Quran that could be stretched to call this justified.

I wish he'd got his hood off. I'd have liked to see his eyes.
A glimpse of an Eagle.

munk
Click to expand...

The story was posted by one of our Italian members on Sword Forums International. He was able to fill in some details the major news services seemed reluctant to supply.

The man who supplied these details, which I have eventually ferretted out and corroborated across a number of sources, called the men who killed Fabrizio "murderers" and "cowards", too cowardly to look the man they were about to kill, in the eyes.

I didn't provide the writer's quotes in full because I was concerned that they might be a bit inflammatory.
 
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