The Minister of National Defence Pannos Kammenos, the Deputy Minister of Interior and Administrative Reconstruction (Macedonia-Thrace) Maria Kollia-Tsaroucha, HNDGS Chief, Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis and HAGS Chief Lt General Vassilios Tellidis attended a ceremony to honour hero reservist Sergeant (INF) Dimitrios Itsios who fell fighting against Nazi intrusion forces in April 1941. The ceremony was held at the pillbox No 8, at Mt Belles.
The Minister of National Defence in his address he stated the following:
“I am extremely happy to be here today, in this border region our country, at Mt Belles, renowned for the struggles fought during the Second Balkan War as well as during WWI . It is also known because this was the starting point of the famous Metaxas Fort Line, which caused so many losses to the German troops during their intrusion operation in April 1941.
The fame of Mt Belles reaches past the borders of our country, since only two days ago Sergeant Dimitrios Itsios was honoured by Washington Oxi Day Foundation in Washington DC, USA.
A am also happy because today I am given the opportunity to thank from the depths of my heart not only the son, but also the grand-daughter of the hero Sergeant Itsios, feeling that this thank you is extended from the hearts of the entire Greek Nation.
Sergeant Itsios’ sacrifice as well as the heroic battle he fought from the pillbox along with three co-warriors – including the hero who is honouring us today with his presence – shows the grandeur and the power of the Greek soul, the faith in the ideals that passed from generation to generation from antiquity to the recent past.
I am very glad to be acquainted with one of the four defenders of pillbox No8, whose hand I shook and whose eyes I saw. To me private Ioannis Kozartzis represents all fighters of 1940-41, who wrote with indelible ink and golden words on the glorious page on the book of the Greek history .
I pledge along with the leadership of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and the Hellenic Army General Staff, to honour them in the days to come. Already there are procedures under way, the Joint Chiefs of General Staff Council will convene and our country will render the appropriate honours.
We bow to the courage and the sacrifice of the fighter who defied death.
This event is rendering the much-owed honours not only to Sergeant Itsios but also to those who over time stood tall and fought hard in the battle for the superior ideals of our country’s freedom and national independence.
The most powerful weapon of the Hellenic Armed Forces is man. The officers, NCOs, privates, territorial guards and reservists, who at any given time stand ready to defend the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, following the example of Itsios and his co-warriors.
This weapon cannot be defeated, it is the weapon of the soul of the nation”.
After the event, the Minister of National Defence Panos Kammenos observed a firing performed by territorial guards in Sidirokastro. In his address he also stated that the MoD will establish a Veterans Secretariat which will deal with issues concerning reservists and territorial guards.
