Italian Red Cross

The Italian Red Cross (Croce Rossa Italiana) is the Italian national Red Cross society that has its origin in the Comitato dell'Associazione Italiana per il soccorso ai feriti ed ai malati in guerra that was formed in Florence in 1863, and in Milan on June 15, 1864. Other committees were formed later. The Italian Red Cross was one of the original founding members of the International Red Cross in 1919.

Early History
The American Red Cross has long been active in Italy, working in cooperation with the Italian Red Cross. Ernest Hemingway worked for the American Red Cross in Italy in 1918. The American Red Cross continues to have an office in Naples, Italy.

Red Cross Hospital 68 and the Korean War
During the Korean War, the Italian Red Cross Field Hospital 68 (Ospedale da campo CRI n. 68) was despatched to Korea to aid the humanitarian disaster there, even though Italy was not a member of the United Nations at the time. The Hospital arrived in Korea in November 1951 and provided medical services to wounded civilians and soldiers of all sides. It finally left Korea in January 1955.

Current Operations
Presently, the Italian Red Cross has the status of a sovra-national charitable organization, under the high patronage of the President of the Italian Republic. The Italian Red Cross is currently a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Doctor Massimo Barra was elected President of the Italian Red Cross on December 11, 2005 and served until October 30, 2008, when the Italian Government appointed Extraordinary Commissioner Francesco Rocca.

Italian Red Cross vehicles bear special license plates.

Components
The Italian Red Cross has the following components:
 * Corpo militare - Military corps
 * Corpo delle Infermiere Volontarie - Voluntary nurses
 * Volontari del Soccorso - Voluntary of First Aid
 * Comitato Femminile - Women's Committee
 * Pionieri - Red Cross Youth
 * Donatori del Sangue - Blood Donors