One of Giovanni Guareschi's (1908-1968) wonderfully told short stories, popular far beyond the borders of Italy, featuring his two protagonists, Don Camillo and Peppone, is titled "Autumn." While most of his stories have a humorous tone, this one deals with a serious topic: the national commemoration of the fallen on November 4th. In a heated discussion with the priest, the communist mayor, Peppone, expresses his views as follows:
"The people are fed up with all these wars and victories. The people know very well what war is and don't need speeches and appeals that glorify it." Don Camillo shook his head. "You're on the wrong track, Peppone. Nobody wants to glorify war. It's simply a matter of paying tribute and expressing gratitude to all those who suffered and lost their lives in this war." (G. Guareschi)