“Thunderbirds, Flashes in the Night”: international exhibition to tell the story of the liberation of the Telesina Valley.

The exhibition “Thunderbirds, Flashes in the Night. October 1943 in Valle Telesina” will be inaugurated on Sunday 6 July 2025, with a public ceremony and a historical procession. It is organized by the Istituto Storico Sannio Telesino in collaboration with the Department of Contemporary History of the State University of Oklahoma, the City of Telese Terme and the Terme di Telese.

The exhibition will be hosted in the former bottling plant of the Terme, recently returned to the city after a long renovation, and will remain open to the public until 12 October 2025.

Through documents, unpublished photographs and period objects, the exhibition tells for the first time the passage, in October 1943, of the 45th US Infantry Division, known as the “Thunderbirds”, which contributed to the liberation of the Telesina Valley. Composed largely of Native Americans from over fifty tribes, the 45th left a deep mark on the history of inland Campania.

The Mayor of Telese Terme, Giovanni Caporaso, expressed great satisfaction for the initiative: "This exhibition represents an exceptional contribution to our collective memory and to the valorization of our local history. I thank the Istituto Storico Sannio Telesino and in particular Dr. Emilio Bove for having made possible, with passion and scientific rigor, a unique project of its kind. I would also like to thank the technical and economic-financial offices, in particular the director Dr. Mariella Vegliante, the knight Costanzo Jannotti Pecci and Prof. Alfredo Minieri, the architect Emilio Franco and all the sponsors. As always, synergy, support and collaboration make possible important ambitious goals such as this international cultural event that will also be an opportunity for reflection for the new generations, on the values ​​of freedom and peace. For us Telesini, then, there is another reason for satisfaction and it is linked to the reopening of the former Imbottigliamento, for which I extend sincere thanks to those who made this recovery possible: the architect Claudio Saccone, director of the works; the Cosenza company, the subcontractor ADR and the Minieri company. Our gratitude goes to all of them for having completed a work that represents another important goal achieved by our Administration: returning public spaces to the community.”.

The president of the Sannio Telesino Historical Institute, Dr. Emilio Bove, emphasizes the historical and unpublished value of the documentation on display: “We have worked for over a year and a half, in close collaboration with Prof. David D'Andrea of ​​the University of Oklahoma, to offer an exhibition that for the first time brings to light materials never seen before in Italy or America. It is a project of great scientific value, with original documents, images and objects recovered from the passage of the 45th Division, and it bears witness to the strategic and human importance of the Telesina Valley during the Second World War”.

The opening day (Sunday, July 6) will begin at 9:30 am at the War Memorial in Viale Minieri with a commemorative ceremony attended by Italian and American civil and military authorities. It will be followed by a historical procession curated by the association The Factory 1944, which will accompany the participants to the Terme di Telese for the official opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition Flashes in the Night is sponsored by: Campania Region, Province of Benevento, Municipality of Telese Terme.

Made in collaboration with: University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli – Department of Literature and Cultural Heritage, Oklahoma National Guard Museum, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Matese Regional Park, ANPI Valle Telesina, Proloco Telesia, San Lorenzo Martire Cultural Organization – Nicola Vigliotti, Diocese of Cerreto Sannita Telese Sant'agata De Goti – Historical Archive and Libraries.

We would also like to thank the sponsors: Liverini Spa, Mastio Restauri, Impresa A. Minieri, Parco Del Grassano, Savim, Erbagil, Ruggieri Arredamenti, Mgs Consulenza E Servizi, Sistri Srl, Agriges, LAIF Srl, Apd Autotrasporti Paolo D'onofrio, IRTET Srl, La Vinicola Del Titerno.

On the official website https://www.lampinellanotte.it photos, news and updates of the exhibition.