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Message from the HCGM President Andy Crilis, for the 28th of October





We all know by now the ultimatum that Ioannis Metaxas faced that grim morning on October 28, 1940, from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, and his answer which echoed the globe was: “Alors c’est la guerre!”

It took courage to proclaim to your citizens: “Fight to Your Death” which the brave men, women and children did. There are many lessons that one can learn from the events that transpired during that time. We witnessed how the Greeks drove away the Axis forces, which bolstered not only the morale of the Greek population but that of the whole world. Their bravery was marvelled worldwide and demonstrated that the Axis power can truly be defeated.

Greece’s legendary heroism, which was praised and acknowledged by all, was also a costly one. Lots of casualties and economic hardships ensued which took Greece a very long time to recover from. One thing was for certain though, their thinly equipped army (compared to the War Machine), managed to thwart off the enemy and prevail as the saviours of WWII!

Students of all levels are taught in school about the events of October 28, 1940, which should always be a reminder of how, when faced with adversity, one can reach deep inside and manage to overcome it with a positive attitude and lots of hard work. The Greeks surely demonstrated that in 1940! We should all take some time to reflect on those events and look at ourselves with what we are faced with and try to think about what those soldiers had to endure. It takes courage and strength to overcome any adversity, and it is possible!

The resilience of the Greek people has been put to the test once again. The advent of the pandemic has brought out the strength of that little nation and its effort to fight this new enemy. With ever-increasing pressure with all the measures and restrictions from governments and public health agencies, Greece is winning this battle as well.

“Hence we will not say that Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks”
-Sir Winston Churchill

ZHTO 28 October 1940!
ZHTO H ELLAS!