The Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos, the Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas, the Chief of HNDGS Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Alkiviadis Stefanis, the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General Christos Christodoulou and the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Nikolaos Tsounis attended the memorial service for the heroes of the crews of Hellenic Navy helicopters held in Hellenic Naval Helicopters Command, Marathon, Attica.

The Minister of National Defence stated the following, in his address, among other things:

“It is a great honour and a heavy burden to speak of heroes; to express in words what the mind cannot perceive and to pay a fair homage of eternal gratitude to those who performed in total their supreme duty towards their land, to those who sacrificed themselves for their land.

Today, we honour the memory of those who fell for the country, who paid the highest price, their own lives. We are called on to commemorate great men. Like the ones referred to by Pericles in his Funeral Oration. “For the whole earth is tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions in their own country but in foreign lands there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them graven not on stone, but in the hearts of men”, says Pericles.

Especially, in the hearts of their people and in the hearts of their colleagues, as well as in the hearts of every Greek man and woman, whether they live in the Greek mainland or in the Greek communities abroad.

This memorial service is, undoubtedly, our imperative duty and, at the same time, a hymn to freedom. “Courage to be freedom and freedom to be happiness”. And they were really courageous and really free; free enough to stand still and put the common good above any personal ambition, any transient profit. They are free to watch us from heaven and share, as every Greek citizen does, the pride that we feel for them.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is our sacred duty to vindicate their sacrifice by defending our national sovereignty, our territorial integrity, our values and civilization and we will do it at any cost.

We serve this duty and its fulfilment is related to national survival. Unfortunately, nowadays and particularly in our area, we live an absurdity. The neighbouring country and its leadership challenges with their statements, it expressed illegal and unproved claims and its Armed Forces infringe every provision of the  international law and rules and all the allied countries which are today in  a mission in the Aegean Sea have realized that. I would like to stress here that, as long as Greece gives birth to heroes, like the ones we honour here today, Turkey’s illegal and dangerous plans will not be implemented.  

We are here today to give the message that we will remain loyal to the cause of their sacrifice, demonstrating that our land, our seas and our air space were and always will be Greek; that the Aegean has no grey zones; that the Aegean is closely interwoven with Greece. The Aegean Sea is the heart of Greece.

We make this clear: that we do not give any part of the Greek territory, not even a mere millimetre of sea and air space.

Our heroes on Imia, Kinaros, and the Aegean Sea and on every part of land and sea of our country showed with their sacrifice that the Armes Forces are always alert. The Hellenic Armed Forces have the biggest weapon which is the soul of their personnel, Officers, NCOs, National Guards, as well as citizens who will serve their country, if need be, giving even the last drop of their blood.

Showing resistance, pride and following the way that every Greek ought to follow in their lives.

This day is dedicated to them. It is also a day of commemoration, honour and acknowledgement of the Armed Forces in total which devoted to their duty, are the safeguards of our national independence and integrity of our country for the Greek citizens to be able to feel safe.

Panagiotis, Christodoulos, Ectoras, Tasos, Kostas and Lefteris I know very well that this type of events are not enough for you and that the best memorial that you ever hoped to see is to find out that you sacrifice was not wasted and that Greece is still pride, strong and independent.

You will always be remembered!”