(Rivista Internazionale - December 1997: The inauguration of the Military Corp's Health Train - 2/3)

In his speech, the Prince and Grand Master expressed his gratitude to the Italian Union of Retired Workers and the State Railways for the donation and to the Minister of Defence for the commitment of the Military Corps, reiterating "the guiding principle" of the Order's mission "as indicated nine centuries ago by its founder, Blessed Gerard: 'the defence of the faith and assistance to the needy'. From the hospital in Jerusalem to the hospices on Rhodes and Malta.
from the field and territorial hospitals of the two World Wars and, during natural disasters, from Messina to Friuli, from the Po Delta to Irpinia, from the ex-Yugoslavia up to the stricken towns in Umbria and the Marches, wherever human beings are suffering, the Order has always come to their aid". In hoping that "in future the work of this new train, like that of the other health structures, can always be based on prevention" H.M.E.H. concluded by recalling the tertio millennio adveniente towards which the "Order is looking, faithful to its traditions, rendering contemporary its raison d'étre and with constant dedication to the service of humanity".

Rome. The X-ray department in the health train.

The Commander of the Order's Military Corps, General Mario Prato, then spoke, outlining the history of the "Hospital Convoys" which the Military Corps has been sending out for over 120 years, and the field hospitals and first-aid stations managed during the terrible World Wars.
"We remember with gratitude the crews of those trains and the staff of those health stations, all the army doctors, nurses, military chaplains and nuns. They were always ready with their medical assistance, but above all with their human warmth and the faith. Sometimes they fell together with the wounded during the attacks".
General Prato also illustrated the state-of-the-art technical features of the new train, which can be expanded with couchette carriages to increase accommodation space. The Commander concluded by thanking the authorities present who had helped to realise the health structure and expressed his gratitude to the Military Corps staff for their enthusiastic and hard work for over a year, and the Bracciano School of Artillery for its generous co-operation

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