The Coast Guard officer who ordered the captain of the capsized Italian cruise ship to go back aboard unwittingly became an instant hero on Wednesday, credited with saving the national honour on one of its darkest nights, Reuters reported. Italy has become enthralled with the tale of two captains. One is Coast Guard Captain Gregorio De Falco, who furiously ordered the skipper of the Costa Concordia to return to his ship and oversee the rescue operations. The other is Captain Francesco Schettino - whom newspapers have branded a coward for fleeing in the face of adversity and who is now under house arrest, accused of multiple manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship. "Thank You, Captain" was the more sedate headline the country's largest national newspaper, Corriere della Sera, chose on Wednesday, reflecting the gratitude of Italians who see Schettino's behaviour as a national embarrassment. "Two men ... two stories, one who humiliates us, the other who redeems. Thank you Captain De Falco, our country badly needs people like you," the Corriere della Sera said. Another memorable exchange between the two captains, listened to by millions of Italians since it was made public, is when De Falco tells Schettino: "You get back on board! That is an order! There is nothing else for you to consider. You have sounded the "Abandon Ship". I am giving the orders now. Get back on board. Is that clear?" The new "Italian idol" is an unlikely one. De Falco is 48. -- SPA
