He closed with a rousing reading of the immortal passage from JFK's first inaugural in which the young President called on a new generation to carry forward the torch of freedom that had been passed to them.
Last December, voters in his Democratic Party had the opportunity to choose a younger, more vibrant politician to carry the torch for the Italian left in the upcoming election in the form of Matteo Renzi, the brash 38-year-old mayor of Florence.
On Sunday, the organization's website read, "The Loss of a Hero, " and said the foundation "will always carry the torch" for the military men and women.