The Carabinieri And The Cowards Poem by Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon
The Carabinieri And The Cowards
D'Acquisto was 22.
Vice Brigadiere Salvo D'Acquisto
of the Italian Carabinieri!
After Mussolini was given the rope
The Italian Armistice announced
And Italy switched sides with hope
D'Acquisto with the Allies at Palidoro,
Where, two German soldiers killed
And two others wounded
In an explosion while inspecting
Boxes of abandoned munitions.
The German Commander
Accused sabotage and
Rounded up twenty two
Civilians, all innocent.
The Germans took D'Acquisto
By force and questioned him,
He tried to convince it was an accident
And the civilians were innocent.
But Germans stood by their theory
And insisted on reprisal, ordered
The saboteurs be executed
Had them dig their own graves.
As the German soldiers were about
To shoot them, D'Acquisto ‘confessed'
Well aware of the consequences,
Was shot dead, and civilians spared.
Pope John Paul II declared
D'Acquisto a Servant of God
Fourty years later, and started
His beatification process.
"We have to conform
ourselves to God's will
whatever the cost
in suffering or sacrifice."
2. The officer tried to convince them of the fact, even though he was severely attacked and wounded by the Germans. The German soldiers refused to listen to his words and were bent upon executing the innocent civilians. (Contd)
3. As he could find no other way to save the innocent compatriots, Salvo D'Acquisto owned up the entire responsibility of the incident. He was fully aware of the consequences. (Contd)
4. He knew that the German cowards will execute him, when he ‘confessed', but hoped that he would thus save the innocent civilians. He was shot dead by the cowardly Germans, who spared the civilians. (Contd)
That is why, the Catholic Church accords Sainthood on them.
The supreme sacrifice one can make is to sacrifice one's life, for the sake of others, who are least known to him/her.
The kindness and noble acts we imparted to humanity will always be remembered. They will defy our death as beautifully enunciated in this wonderful write.
A very touching and deeply poignant poem. A great story story so well expressed and presented
In this time of strife (started by the dictator for reasons best known to him) , I was reminded of the extreme sacrifice made by the young Italian soldiers to save the lives of a few innocent people totally unknown to him. That is something, God would love everyone of us to emulate.
5. Forty years after his execution in the hands of the Germans, his ultimate sacrifice was recognised by the Pope himself.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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7/30/2025 5:37:49 AM # 1.0.0
Vice Brigadiere Salvo D'Acquisto was a young officer of 22, in the Italian Carabinieri posted to Palidoro, Italy during WW II. When the accident occurred, resulting in the death of two German Soldiers, the German Occupying Army rounded up 22 civilians, construing it as a premeditated attack.