In the presence of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos, took place the celebration of the anniversary for the Velos Mutiny in May 1973 at the Museum for Anti-dictatorial struggle “HNS Velos” at the Park of Maritime Tradition in Flisvos Marina.

The celebration was also attended by the Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Kammenos, representing the Government, the Deputy Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikos Toskas, the Chief of HNGS Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Chief of HAGS Lieutenant General Vasileios Tellidis and the Chief of HAFGS Lieutenant General (AF) Christos Vaitsis.

The Minister of National made the following address:

“Your Excellency, Mister President of the Hellenic Republic,

Chiefs,  

Commander of the HNS VELOS

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With this humble ceremony, we commemorate and honour the fighters, present and absent, who participated in the Navy mutiny against the dictatorship in May 1973.

The past two years, the protagonist of the mutiny and Commander at the time of the HNS “VELOS”, Admiral Nikos Pappas, is not present.

The Officers’ corps and the Country count losses when such Officers, and such crews as the ones who participated in the Navy mutiny, are gone. The country becomes poorer, especially during times like ours.  

We cannot hide that their departure generates, for us at the Ministry of National Defence, uncomfortable and thorny feelings, yet we have so many of their capable students to follow their course.

“In the maritime culture, where I lived my life, the first axiom we embraced was: nothing educates better than the example”, the Captain used to say.

Admirals, Officers, crew of the destroyer, this is what we shall carry on doing in the Armed Forces. We shall be educated by your example; we shall learn the meaning of concepts such as offering, struggle for Democracy but also leader.

On the other hand, those of the leaders who are here with us can feel great satisfaction, as History has written the chapter concerning them, while they are still living. This is an impressive and rare benefit Greeks have.

As the previous speakers said, the Navy anti-junta movement which peaked with the Velos mutiny, defended the army’s honour and reputation, creating the circumstances that would cause catalytic and fateful damage to the dictatorship. The result was that the path to the restoration of democratic lawfulness would open.

The attempt made by Pappas had the following results: the arrests and torturing of their colleagues were heard, it became known that not everyone in the Armed Forces supported the Junta, it triggered questioning on the unity within NATO, it helped preserve the anti-dictatorship feeling and the Greek people’s hopes.

The dictatorship, while it exercised its arbitrary power, strained to convince Greek and international public opinion that it had the country’s entire Armed Forces, as well as the largest part of the Greek people, by its side.

Yet, even though it might sound as an oxymoron, the junta’s first victim was the Armed Forces.

As rightly described by Admiral Kostas Gortzis, who was with Nikos Pappas, in his book “Velos at the heart of the junta”, the dictatorship – ever since it forced its arbitrary power by means of violence and fear – proceeded to pursuing, dismissing, discharging, torturing, arresting, imprisoning and expatriating many members of our Armed Forces.

We have numerous examples of brilliant officers who suffered untold adversities by agents of the coup. The Greek Armed Forces never identified themselves with the dictators.
The Democracy we enjoy today is the fruit of many people’s, both military and civilians, self-sacrifice.

However, it is obvious that nothing should be considered given and we shouldn’t consider Democracy’s safety to be self-evident. 

Especially nowadays, when our society suffers from the consequences of the financial crisis and the Greek people have made huge sacrifices over the last years, without any response, without any respect for their effort. Particularly today, when in the name of globalisation, some people ask for national flags to be struck and for national sovereignty to be ceded. The answer to this is from here, from the stern of Velos, that this country, Greek women and men, do not strike the flags, as recently told us the Commander on Kastelorizo island, on Rho, on Stroggyli, on our islands.
The national sovereignty of this place cannot be ceded. We fight up to the last survivor and as long as even one of us is alive, not a mere millimeter of this national sovereignty can be yielded. This is the oath that civilians and soldiers, we took and we follow on this land.

I do not know how will be recorded in history the period 1974-2015,  after many decades. What I know is that our post-dictatorial political system, on the one, won the big bet of “macropolitical” stability.

On the other hand, however, we did not utilize these advantages. There was improvidence, there was indifference, and there was slackness in the cohesion within the Greek society, in favour of “progressiveness” there was a “democratic” insouciance.

Tradition in the Hellenic Navy has proved that there are also values which have not changed, there are institutions which have not yielded, there are customs that have not changed and these keep us on our feet until today. It is them that we should follow as examples.

Of course, we do not give up. The solution will come through our work. The minds and hands of Greek people are our national wealth, as are also our national land and sea.

We will synchronise again with the clock of history, with our country’s call of duty, as did also the protagonists of the Greek Naval Mutiny. Greece has gone through more difficult periods in the past and survived. Greece of duty, solidarity and honour tries and finds a way to exaltation and hope.  

And, anyway, the collapse of democratic institutions and the management of a financial crisis which must be handled in a democratic manner within the framework set by the existent Constitution of the country and in the context of democratic regularity and legitimacy, are two different things.

It is true, however, Admiral, that back then some of our allies and some civilized countries turned a blind eye. They turn a blind eye today too, but it is an obligation for Greece, the country that bore Democracy, to teach them, to show them that – even if they turn a blind eye – Greece defends Democracy, Greece protects freedom in other countries of the world too.

I am, definitely, saying, beyond any micropolitics, that today we are taught a lesson. We are given the chance – the statesmen and the citizens too – to realize that inconsistent policies, lack of respect to people’s will, moral and spiritual degradation of citizens lead to a threat for our national interests, to a dramatic weakening of our country’s position and to international isolation.

Despite the critical situation, things are impressively simple.

Your Excellency, Mr. President of the Hellenic Republic,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In this critical struggle too, the Armed Forces remain the alert guard of our country’s honour and dignity, not only because this is dictated by their Constitutional mission, but because they realize that Democracy is a prerequisite for their power and effectiveness as well.

The relation of confidence between people and Armed Forces is the most valuable legacy. With a strong morale and devotion to their duty, they are ready to defend Democracy, the integrity of the country, the national independence and to contribute to the improvement of Greek people’s everyday life. And this has been consolidated in Greek people’s minds.

The Democracy, this regime that demonstrates and ensures the values which inspired the protagonists of the Mutiny of the Hellenic Navy in May 1973 has found a strong safeguard in the earnestness and professionalism of the people who staff the Armed Forces.

Thank you very much.”