On the occasion of our campaign “No flag in the hands of fascists” let us talk today about the struggles that fighters democrats of all parties made for the Greek flag. Leftists and centrists and rightists.
Let us remember these. It is the history of Greece. And those who “forget” them will be here to rub it in their faces.
Under the Junta there were military men who paid a heavy price for their resistance activities. Right-wingers for the most part and several centrists.
And it is surprising that the descendants of the heroic figures who staffed the Navy Movement and led the mutiny of the destroyer “BELOS”, do not protest today when they see the fascists whom their fathers and grandfathers fought - usurping the Greek flag.
It is these heroes from the other side of the river that we will talk about today.
Those who, against like-minded right-wingers who “minded their own business and did not interfere”, stood up and honoured their country with a blood tax.
On 23 May 1973, two hundred and seven (207) naval officers mutinied in order to overthrow the dictatorial regime. Something that was ultimately not possible because the movement was betrayed the day before it became manifest.
The communists arrested the officers responsible. There were 63 naval officers, five airmen, five land army officers and six civilians. They were imprisoned, exiled and tortured inhumanly in the hellhole of the EAT-ESA (Special Investigative Department of the Greek Military Police), in prisons and in exile.
The doctrine of the EAT-ESA at that time was the nightmarish ”Friend or cripple comes out who comes in here”
Who doesn't remember the military Spyros Mustacles; The retired major who, after 45 days of continuous torture, was crippled for the rest of his life and could never speak again.
«During the torture, by a group led by the torturer Anastasios Spanos, the blows to his carotid artery caused a stroke and as a result he was hospitalized (with a delay of several hours) at the 401 G.S.N.A., where he was admitted under the pseudonym “Michaelides” and the reason for admission was “crashing in the Hippodrome”. The blows caused total paralysis of his right upper and lower limbs».
Mustacles was an anti-communist. In the National Resistance he had volunteered as a member of the E.O.E.A. organization below. Under the orders of General and founder of the EDES Napoleon Zervas.
During the Civil War Mustaklis took part in many battles against the ELAS and later fought in Korea.
During the Junta he was a pioneer in the Navy Movement. He died in 1986 and his bust exists in Athens, in Eleftherias Square in front of the former detention facilities of the EAT ESA where Mustaklis was tortured to death.
Two days after the betrayal of the Navy Movement, the destroyer “BELOS” with 270 crew members broke away from the ships participating in a NATO exercise and ran aground in Italy.
There the Captain Nikos Pappas, officers and non-commissioned officers of the Arrow have applied for political asylum in a press conference with the Greek flag as a background. Their asylum was granted after a long time, the junta was humiliated internationally and in order not to be completely humiliated he spoke of «operetta of the naval movement of a few retired officers».
The message sent by Nikos Pappas via radio explaining the reasons for that historic decision is typical.
“Faithful to the alliance and to the civilization of our peoples, which is founded on the principles of democracy, personal freedom and respect for the laws, all the Officers and crew (270 men) of my ship, as one man, faithful to our oath, with deepest regret we leave the exercises.
With the sympathy of the whole free world we will fight to restore democracy in Greece.
It is well known to you and especially to the Americans that a gang of self-serving officers imposed an inhuman and hateful dictatorship on Greece more than six years ago. The present naval uprising is a response to the feelings of the entire people of our country.
The free world and especially the NATO countries must also become aware of the erosion and destruction of the armed forces on which the defence of the south-eastern wing is based. Consider that right now active officers have been arrested and are being humiliated and mistreated by other officers and soldiers of the Military Police.”.
Honor and glory then.
Honor and glory to the patriots who fought in the name of the Greek flag. The flag that is now being desecrated by scum with swastikas on their arms, by gladiators, paracrats, Nazis and scum.
Honor and glory to Major Spyros Mustaklis.
Honor and glory to Commander Nikos Pappas.
Honor and glory to the Chief of the G.E.N. Konstantinos Egolfopoulos who, as soon as dictatorship was declared, immediately resigned his post - a move that dealt a severe blow to the fascists.
Honor and glory to Colonel Dimitrios Oropopoulos who with his resistance group planned the occupation of the ASDEN (Supreme Military Administration of the Interior and Islands). Oropoulos was discharged from the army, exiled to Lesvos, tortured and paralyzed from the waist down.
Honor and glory to Commander Alexandros Papadogonas who actively participated in the naval movement for the overthrow of the Junta, was arrested and imprisoned in the EAT-ESA.
Honor and glory to Vice Admiral Spyros Konofaos who, after being discharged because of his anti-dictatorial struggle, was deported by the coup plotters to Fourna in Evritania and then exiled to Kymi in Evia.
Honor and glory to Commanders Panagiotis-Stavros Malliaris, Georgios Sekeris, Miltiadis Papathanasiou, Ioannis Stathopoulos, Giogeza, Kousouris.
In conclusion.
Not everyone in the Junta was a torturer, like Theophylofilogianakos, Spanos, Mallios, Babalis, Scaloubakas, Kravaritis and all those who were summarily consigned to the dustbin of history in the post-independence period.
There were also militants who were not left-wing, nor did they embrace the principles of communism. They were right-wing, Karamanian and many pro-monarchists.
So let us appeal to the descendants who bear names of heroic names on their backs to claim the sacred and sacred things for which their parents and grandparents sacrificed their lives. Let us join our voices and say together.
“The Greek flag and our eyes”.
Because at the rate we're going, soon the fascists will paint a swastika on her.
