"Osando vinco"
The 66th "Trieste" Infantry Regiment originated from the 66th Infantry Regiment constituted in 1862 and it had its baptism of fire during the Third War of Independence, in the battle of Custoza. It participated in the 1st World War fighting on the Giulio front, in Cima Tre Pozzi and in Val d'Assa, where it deserved the Knight Cross of the Military Order of Italy like all the Italian Infantry.
During the 2nd World War, included in the 101st "Trieste" Division, it participated in the campaign of northern Africa against the 8th Army from El-Alamein to Tunisia where, during the battle of Takrouna, the 1st Battalion led by Captain Mario Politi covered in glory for having contained the enemy division for several days and ceding only after having finished the ammunitions. In that occasion it deserved the Gold Medal to the Military Valour.
The 66th Regiment was reconstituted on 1st October 1975 in Forlì as 66th "Valtellina" Mechanized Battalion and it was included in the "Trieste" Mechanized Brigade of the "Folgore" Mechanized Division. In 1980 the Battalion intervened in favour of the populations hit by the earthquake in the province of Salerno, deserving the Bronze Medal to the Army Valour; in 1983 it was employed in Lebanon with the ITALCON contingent.
With the dissolution of the "Folgore" Mechanized Division in 1986, also the "Trieste" was dissolved in 1991 leaving the place to the "Friuli" Brigade that included the 66th.
Engaged with the paratroopers in the first edition of the "Vespri" Operation in 1992, the following year it assumed the name of 66th "Trieste" Infantry Regiment. From August 1993 to March 1994 it participated in the "IBIS" Operation in Somalia where, on 6th February 1994, the First Lieutenant Giulio Ruzzi died because of an ambush by Somali bandits.
Later the Regiment was employed in the Balkans, on the Albanian, Bosnian and Kosovan territories.
In 2000 it was transformed into Airmobile Infantry Regiment and took on a training course to validate the new configuration.