The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS General Michail Kostarakos and the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Vasileios Tellidis attended the annual memorial service in honour of raiders fallen in action at the Monument to Mountain Raider Companies, Kavouri, Attica region.

The Minister of National Defence addressed the audience with the following statement:

“Your Eminence,

Dear Representatives of the Parliament and of local Authorities,

Chiefs,

Dear Officers, NCOs, raiders and soldiers of the “Sacred Band”,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am particularly touched to be here with you, in this event of commemoration and honour, on this symbolic and special moment for the Raiders. I honour the presence of representatives of the Parliament, as well as of the local authorities and of the local mayor.

We are here today to honour and express our gratitude and our public national praise to all raiders, to the chosen ones, who fell in action to defend our country.

To honour those who identified their lives with a big part of the Greek nation, who identified their souls with the Greek soul that protected our Homeland in difficult circumstances.

Of course, Chief, dear friends and relatives of our brave soldiers, I will say, once more, that we are in greater need of these commemorations in order to be able to realize how great their contribution was, realize how much we owe them and convey this message to our children.

These heroes, these lionhearts, have been honoured by history and bear the glory that they fell for their faith and their country.

They fell for our homeland, for Greece, which is not an abstract ideal or an obsession of the past that we just mention on anniversaries or we recall in parades; it is about Greece that we all must keep deep in our hearts, Greece that unites us.   

Greece that faces today a particularly great attack by those who support Globalisation, collapse of Nation States, elimination of values, destruction of everything.

There is tradition and historical background in this country. There are points of reference and values. There are and there will be, as long as we have fighters like those whom we honour today; as long as we walk on this land which is irrigated with the blood and sweat of the fighters.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Armed Forces, our Raiders, know how to honour the memory of their brave and skilful personnel with the necessary praises and the proper respect.

A respect that we ought to pay to heroes; to those who fell in action, performing their duty.

To those whose short life was and still is a long course of ethos and courage.

And all those whom we honour here today, show us the way to make our country stronger and our society better.

They remind and determine our mission

We are here for the country, for the Greek people, for our system of values. This is what we must keep. We want a country free and independent; a people standing on their feet, proud and a system of values, the one of faith and soul. This country cannot be brought to its knees.

You know very well how important symbols are to democracy. When you keep the traditions, you honour your heroes, you respect their contribution and sacrifice, then we have points of reference which revitalize our relation to history and we have bright lights to show us the way we must follow.

This relation to history, this relation and contact with our heroes and their deeds allow us to have a connection, a grid of social and national cohesion.

So, honour and glory to those who never came back, to those who gave their lives for our country to not “become smaller”.

Gratitude to those who contributed and I refer to the retired personnel who are here today, from the honourable Chiefs to the privates, raiders and “Sacred Banders”.

Gratitude and admiration to those who continue this glorious and dignified course.

A public praise to those who serve in the Armed Forces and to everybody who devoted their lives to the service of our country and to the performance of their duties.

Let’s turn our thoughts to all our heroes, let’s promise them to make a better and stronger country. We will keep our promise.

They’ll be immortal”.