Gaspare Pajetta

My name is Gaspare Pajetta. I was born in Taino (Varese) in June 1925, and I died in the Battle of Megolo in February, 1944. I have two older brothers, Gian Carlo and Giuliano, and my parents were Elvira Berrini Pajetta and Carlo Pajetta. Raised in a family with strong democratic values, I opposed the fascist regime from a young age. I attended a private high school and, at the age of fifteen, I published anti-fascist material with two classmates. By 1943, I was involved with the Italian Communist Party and after the armistice it was natural for me to join the partisan bands forming in Piedmont. I joined the partisan group of architect Filippo Maria Beltrami under the name "Sergio" and I fought in the Strona and Ossola Valleys under this name. During the Battle of Megolo, instead of retreating, Commander Beltrami and I, each leading small squads of fighters, decided to stay and fight, even though retreat was possible.  The fight lasted about two hours but then we were surrounded by the Germans and we had to surrender. We gathered around the commander and fell one by one. Even if I was wounded I continued to fight until I was killed by a burst of machine gun fire. I died alongside my comrades, including Commander Beltrami. I am now buried in Megolo and after my death I was awarded the Silver Medal for Military Valor.