“October 28 marks one of the most glorious pages of our recent history. From the Albanian epic to the National Resistance and from Roupel to the Battle of Crete, Greece faced great dilemmas and courageously defended its values ​​and virtues which always illuminate the most brilliant moments of its history”, states the Minister of Education, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, in his message for the national anniversary and adds:

“Today we honor the heroes who with their action and sacrifice forged a proud and hopeful future for our country. The Greek Army and the resistance organizations that operated in Greece and the Middle East, contributing to the Allied victory over the Axis. The women and men who faced not only the enemy troops, but also the adversities of Pindos and the hardships of the Occupation. The Gentiles who saved hundreds of our fellow Jews from the hands of the Nazis and the horrors of the Holocaust.

Today’s anniversary is a small tribute to a generation that was called upon to face extreme conditions of hunger, pain and fear and managed to stand up. From Hill 731 to Rimini and from the Gorgopotamos to El Alamein, Greece earned with sweat and a lot of blood its place among those countries that defended their territorial integrity, their independence, and above all the human condition itself.

For most of our generation, however, the heroes of the 1940s are more than references in a school textbook: they are living history. They were – and for a lucky few still are – our grandparents, the people who raised us and who lived to see their country free, their children and their grandchildren living in an environment of freedom and progress. The people whose stories exuded the feeling that they fulfilled their duty towards the Motherland, towards humanity.

Today, October 28 remains more than relevant. And it emerges as a collective and individual model of bravery, patriotism, self-sacrifice and pride.

Happy birthday, dear teachers, students!

Happy birthday to all Greek women and men”.