AFSBn-Africa takes part in special WWII commemorative ceremony for Italian fallen, local hero

By Cameron Porter, 405th AFSB Public Affairs OfficerAugust 3, 2022

AFSBn-Africa takes part in special WWII commemorative ceremony for Italian fallen, local hero
The Army Field Support Battalion-Africa intelligence and operations noncommissioned officer in charge, Sgt. 1st Class Tehran Jones, lays flowers at the base of the memorial site for Manrico Ducceschi, also known as Pippo, during the WWII commemoration ceremony in honor of U.S. Army Bronze Star Medal awardee Pippo at Pian di Novello, Italy, July 31. “I will continue to support this ceremony as long as I'm stationed here,” said Jones. (Photo Credit: Elena Baladelli) VIEW ORIGINAL

PIAN DI NOELLO, Italy – Two leaders from Army Field Support Battalion-Africa took part in a special Italian-American commemorative ceremony in Pianaccina Pian di Novello, July 31, to honor the fallen and a local Italian hero.

The AFSBn-Africa executive officer, Maj. Duane Dumlao, and the AFSBn-Africa intelligence and operations noncommissioned officer in charge, Sgt. 1st Class Tehran Jones, represented their battalion, the 405th Army Field Support Brigade and the U.S. Army community of Camp Darby and Leghorn Army Depot as special guests at the event.

Dumlao provided guest remarks and Jones laid flowers at the base of the memorial site for Manrico Ducceschi, also known as Pippo. In recognition for his heroic actions in support of U.S. and Allied forces during World War II, Pippo was presented with a U.S. Army Bronze Star Medal at the Santini Building in Lucca, Italy, following the war.

“It was very important to represent AFSBn-Africa and take part in this commemorative event and ceremony,” said Jones. “This is part of our history here in Italy.”

Born in 1920 in Capua, Italy, and thanks to the military experience he acquired at the Alpini Cadet Course as a young man, Pippo organized and formed a resistance group with the purpose of hampering Nazi operations in Italy during WWII.

His exceptional leadership abilities inspired teams of young people to join the XI Partisan Zone. Led by Pippo, it was one of the most organized and combative resistance groups in Italy and one of only a few to never suffer defeat. The XI Partisan Zone successfully disrupted and caused much trouble for Nazi and Axis powers in Italy. One of the group’s biggest accomplishments was the killing of a high ranking Japanese admiral in June 1944 and the subsequent acquisition of highly important documents, which helped U.S. and Allied forces during future operations in the war.

AFSBn-Africa takes part in special WWII commemorative ceremony for Italian fallen, local hero
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Army Field Support Battalion-Africa executive officer, Maj. Duane Dumlao, provides guest remarks at a Italian-American commemorative ceremony in Pianaccina Pian di Novello, July 31. Dumlao provided guest remarks at the memorial site for Manrico Ducceschi, also known as Pippo. In recognition for his heroic actions in support of U.S. and Allied forces during World War II, Pippo was presented a U.S. Army Bronze Star. (Photo Credit: Elena Baladelli) VIEW ORIGINAL
AFSBn-Africa takes part in special WWII commemorative ceremony for Italian fallen, local hero
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Army Field Support Battalion-Africa executive officer, Maj. Duane Dumlao, and the AFSBn-Africa intelligence and operations noncommissioned officer in charge, Sgt. 1st Class Tehran Jones, take part in a Italian-American commemorative ceremony in Pianaccina Pian di Novello, July 31, to honor the fallen as well as a local Italian hero – Manrico Ducceschi, also known as Pippo. (Photo Credit: Elena Baladelli) VIEW ORIGINAL

“I was happy to be able to take part in the event,” Jones said. “It’s another great example of the cooperation and partnership that exists between AFSBn-Africa, U.S. Army Garrison Italy, Camp Darby and our Italian communities. They are some of our closest friends, and they always welcome us as part of their communities here.”

For about the past 10 years or more, a delegation from the Camp Darby military community has taken part in the commemorative ceremony at Pianaccina Pian di Novello in honor of Pippo and Italy’s fallen heroes, Jones said.

“I will continue to support this ceremony as long as I'm stationed here,” he added.

The 405th AFSB’s Africa battalion is charged with receiving, maintaining, storing and issuing Army Prepositioned Stocks-2. The battalion is also responsible for linking national logistics capabilities and providing logistics solutions to Army units and joint forces South of the Alps, to include U.S. Army Europe and Africa, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and other strategic partners in order to support two geographic combatant commands and enable readiness.

The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging the U.S. Army Materiel Command materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website and the official Facebook site.