“On this day every year, we, the Greek men and women in Greece and around the world, commemorate the first defeat of the Axis powers during World War II. The first victory of the free world against fascism was the victorious attack of the Greek bayonet charging towards the Italian machine guns. Our soldiers showed courage and were ready to sacrifice themselves to defend the birthplace of our ideals. The Greek soldier, in a simple winter uniform, dived into the snow of Pindus and fought against the excellently equipped and outnumbering alpine divisions, believing in the holy mystery of our nation; the only element that can explain the historical triumphs of the Greeks against tyrannies. The value system of rational thinking stemming from our forefathers’ legacy fights for thousands of years and secures victories. It brandished the sword at Thermopylae the same way as the bayonet in the mountains of Epirus. Throughout time, it defended the freedom of the Greek spirit and its fruits: democracy, politics, and culture. It is the same element that explains the perennial and strong bond shared by Greeks all over the world with their homeland, the hearth where our heritage is safeguarded. It is the defining feature of Greek identity, which keeps us united after centuries of migration. It is the same one that allows us to enjoy victories such as the Albanian Epic or the battle at Marathon, fighting at the bastion for the values which gave birth to the Enlightenment and modern Western civilisation.Greeks throughout the world, in Greece and abroad, celebrate together the anniversary of the “NO,” paying tribute to Greece which in difficult times remains resilient and fulfils as always its historical role.”
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