On Wednesday, October 2, 2024, the Florence American Cemetery hosted a unique event to honor the 80th anniversary of the Northern Italian Campaign during World War II.

This solemn ceremony, organized by Be the Difference – Never Again, in partnership with the American Battle Monuments Commission and the U.S. Consulate General of Florence, stood as a powerful tribute to the 4,402 U.S. American servicemembers who are buried in this sacred place among the wooded hills near the Greve River, and the 1,409 missing in action who are commemorated on the Walls of the Missing.

This Living Tribute invited the nearly 300 participants to stand by a grave marked by a Latin cross or a Star of David, a gesture designed to bridge the past and present. Students were assigned a name in advance, while others received a card upon entry to the cemetery for them to write down the name and plot number of their chosen soldier.  This was done to help attendees to remember and research their servicemember after the ceremony. 

U.S. Consul General in Florence, Daniela Ballard, hosted the event, along with Eryth Zecher, Superintendent of the Florence American Cemetery, as well as the Co-founders of Be the Difference-Never, Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi, Robbie Shackelford, and Michael Aaron Wright.

Italian and U.S. military attended, including the Carabinieri Band as well as U.S. Army and Navy officials stationed at places in Italy like Camp Darby. Mayors and dignitaries from the towns of Scandicci, Greve in Chianti, San Miniato, Carrara, and San Casciano in Val di Pesa also attended, as well as many associations like the Tuscan American Association, the Scouts, the Florence section of the Air Force Aviators Association of Italy and the Jewish Community of Florence.

U.S. American Study Abroad students studying throughout Tuscany were a vital piece to helping this event resonate as a poignant reminder of shared sacrifice, historical memory, and the enduring strength of U.S.-Italy relations. Students and staff from Duquesne University, Harding University, Lipscomb University, Marist College, Syracuse University, and the University of Pittsburgh were among those who attended and volunteered for the event. Eryth Zecher, Superintendent of the Florence American Cemetery, reminded the college students in attendance that the average age of the men and women commemorated at the cemetery was only nineteen years old.

Bradford Miller, Associate Director of Marist Italy read the story of Private First Class Noboru Miyoku, provided by Miyoko’s granddaughter during her visit to the Florence American Cemetery in April 2024. PFC Miyoku, a young Nisei serviceman from Glendale, California, was born in 1919 and was the fourth of ten children. In early 1942 when the initial Japanese evacuation order was issued, Miyoko’s family moved to Utah to a “free zone,” rather than be interned behind barbed wire like thousands of other Japanese Americans.

Miller told of how Miyoko served in Company B, 100th Battalion of the 442nd Regiment, the highest decorated unit in World War II.  In fact, in April 1945, an eight-hour all-night climb up to 3,000 feet to attack Mount Cerrata, Mount Carchio, and Mount Folgorito resulted in the cracking of the Gothic Line in only 32 minutes, a line that had remained stagnant for five months.  PFC Miyoku’s company was instructed to protect the left flank on the side of Fort Bastione near Castelpoggio. But a German counterattack ended in Miyoko and four of his comrades’ deaths on April 14, 1945, at Castelpoggio, Italy.  Miyoko’s mother not only lost Noburu, but his brother Technical Sergeant Mitsuru E. Miyoku was also killed during the war near Bruyères, France on October 15, 1944, and is buried at the ABMC Epinal American Cemetery in France.

U.S. Consul General, Daniela Ballard spoke of the incredible irony of the bravery of the Nisei servicemembers and the African American 92nd division Buffalo Soldiers, who courageously fought for the liberation of the Italians, while their families were segregated or interned in America. “Some of you have heard me say this before”, declared Ballard, “but it is not lost on me how many brave young men fought for the freedom of the Italians while they could not enjoy the full benefits of that same freedom in the United States.”

Elizabet Bettina Nicolosi reminded the crowd that the reason, “…we can be in Italy, enjoying its history, beauty, and culture is because each one of these servicemembers, 80 years ago, made a difference in the world.” Nicolosi encouraged all to action through thoughtful questions: “What will you do tomorrow, or the next day after meeting your servicemember today? What action can you take to "be the difference"  for someone else? Think of these heroes and this event as inspiration for you to take action for good. Let's always remember our servicemember who made the ultimate sacrifice for Italy and the hope for a more peaceful world.”

The ceremony concluded with attendees saying the name of their servicemember beside their grave and a moment of silence while the Carabinieri Band played “Taps”. The light autumn wind blew through the valley with a spirit of renewed hope, as the Carabinieri Band concluded with a joyful rendition John Philip Sousa’s, “Stars and Stripes and Forever.”

Elizabeth Bettina Nicolosi told dignitaries in attendance that this was “…a first-of-its-kind event, designed to be a model for future ceremonies and tributes around the world at other American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries, ensuring that the sacrifices made for freedom are remembered and honored across generations.”