Leandro Verì

Leandro Verì
Leandro Verì
Born	10 November 1903; San Vito Chietino (Chieti)
Died	13 December 1938 (aged 35); Laigueglia (Savona)
Allegiance	Kingdom of Italy
Service	Arma dei Carabinieri
Years of service	1923 – 1938
Rank	Appuntato
Awards	Gold Medal of Military Valour (posthumous)

Leandro Verì (San Vito Chietino, 10 November 1903 – Laigueglia, 13 December 1938) was an Italian carabiniere.

Biography

Born in San Vito Chietino, Chieti, on 10 November 1903, Verì attended the carabiniere student walking course at the Rome school from April to September 1923. Appointed carabiniere, he was assigned to the Legion of Chieti. In December 1926 he moved to that of Treviso and the following year to that of Padua, from which he was transferred, in May 1930, to the Legion of Rome. Moved in December 1931 to the Legion of Genoa, Nervi's company, six years later he was promoted to the rank of appuntato and sent to the Alassio station.

Verì died on 13 December 1938, while serving in Laigueglia, Savona, after being mortally wounded during a nighttime firefight with a dangerous criminal. For this operation, he was decorated posthumously with the Gold Medal of Military Valour by a decree of 18 August 1939.

Honours

At night, searching with his station commander for an unknown man, who, armed with a war rifle and bayonet, had threatened the life of a security guard, he found himself isolated due to the needs of the service itself. Sighting the wanted man, he did not hesitate to chase him and attempt to arrest him. Severely wounded in several parts of the body by a machine gunshot, he returned fire and continued in pursuit of the suspect, reaching him and engaging in a violent struggle with him, even managing to take the rifle from him. Due to his loss of strength, the suspect escaped him and they resumed the pursuit for a long distance. Despite the incessant loss of blood, he fired more shots of his pistol at him, reached him and engaged in a new violent struggle, until, exhausted, he fell along with the opponent who, still able to react, tried to hit him with the bayonet he had at hand. The arrival of the superior officer put an end to the struggle with the killing of the suspect. Transported to a place of treatment, he died after five days of excruciating suffering. Laigueglia (Savona), 13 December 1938.^[1]

Memorials

The Arma dei Carabinieri named the 67th Course of Carabinieri Students after Verì, effective in 1982.
Subsequently, the 133rd and 246th Auxiliary Carabinieri Students Course and the 124th training course for carabinieri were named after him (year 2009).^[2]
The 2nd Course of Brigadier Students at the Scuola marescialli e brigadieri dei carabinieri (School of Marshals and Brigadiers of the Carabinieri) of Velletri (Metropolitan City of Rome Capital), from 1 September to 5 December 1997.
The municipality of San Vito Chietino has named a small square in the historic centre after him.

References

^ "VERI Leandro". Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana. quirinale.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2022-02-13. Retrieved 12 February 2022. Di notte, in unione con il proprio comandante di stazione, durante le ricerche di uno sconosciuto, che, armato di fucile da guerra e di baionetta aveva minacciato nella vita una guardia giurata, venutosi a trovare isolato per esigenza del servizio stesso, avvistato il ricercato, non esitava ad inseguirlo e ad intimargli il fermo. Ferito gravemente in più parti del corpo da un colpo di mitraglia, rispondeva al fuoco e continuava nell'inseguimento del ribelle, raggiungendolo ed ingaggiando con lui violenta colluttazione, riuscendo anche a disarmarlo del fucile. A causa della perdita di forze, sfuggitogli il ribelle ne riprendeva l'inseguimento per lungo tratto e, malgrado l'incessante perdita di sangue, lo faceva segno di altri colpi della sua pistola, lo raggiungeva ed impegnava nuova violenta colluttazione, finché, esausto, cadeva con l'avversario che, ancora in grado di reagire, tentava colpirlo con la baionetta che aveva a portata di mano. Il sopraggiungere del superiore poneva fine alla lotta con l'uccisione del ribelle. Trasportato in luogo di cura, decedeva dopo cinque giorni di atroci sofferenze. Laigueglia (Savona), 13 dicembre 1938.
^ "Torino: il Sottosegretario Crosetto presenzia alla cerimonia di Giuramento degli Allievi Carabinieri del 124º Corso Verì" [Turin: Undersecretary Crosetto attends the swearing-in ceremony of the Carabinieri students of the 124th Verì Course]. difesa.it (in Italian). Ministero della Difesa. ^{[dead link‍]}