-
.
- Ελληνικά
With awe, feelings of emotion, national pride, honour and a sense of duty, fifty years after the black summer of 1974, we stand today before the remains of 15 of our 24 heroes, the brave lads of the 286th Mechanized Infantry Battalion (286MP), who perished after the tragic events that occurred during the second phase of the invasion, on the Lapatsa hill north of Skylura.
We are here today to write an epilogue that has a dual role. On the one hand, to honour with due honours the heroism, the fighting spirit and the sacrifice of the fallen of the 286MTP, our lads who were in the front line of fire with the barbaric invaders, and on the other hand, it imposes on us the huge debt of never forgetting their sacrifice, continuing the struggle, which as a state we owe to the families of our missing persons.
History and facts reveal the tragedy, the horrors and the heavy toll of blood that the 286MP paid in the black summer of 1974.
The men of the 286MP entered the battle from the first phase of the Turkish invasion. On 20 July they received instructions to go to Kyrenia to halt the advance of the Turkish invaders. Outside Konteno, the 286MP was heavily attacked by the Turkish air force, resulting in the first deaths and wounded.
The Battalion was reconstituted at Myrtou and immediately became involved in National Guard operations in Karavas. After the ceasefire, the Battalion is camped in Latsia and remains on alert. On 3 August, instructions were given for a new mission in the area of Agios Hermolaos. The first company of the Battalion was deployed to the heights of Agios Hermolaos, awaiting instructions.
On the day of the second phase of the invasion, 14 August, the men of the 286MP fought a heroic battle with no tomorrow. A battle to hold the heights of St. Hermolaus, a militarily strategic area important for the future of the war. Neither the heroism nor the self-sacrifice of our lads was enough to win an unequal fight, a battle with meagre means, against the heavily armed and outnumbered Turkish soldiers, who were also supported by the Turkish air force, which was mercilessly bombing their positions.
The phrase not a step back is applied by the heroic soldiers of the 1st Company of the 286MTP. Few in number, but giants in spirit, with valiant stature, they remained on the battlefields, fighting the invaders with self-denial. After regrouping on August 15, they returned to their positions and continued to fight the fight. With the assistance of the Battalion's reservists, 35 to 40 men in all, they fight one of the bravest battles the National Guard has had to show for 1974. With meager resources, a company and a few reservists take on a few hundred Turkish invaders, with a large number of tanks and support from the Turkish air force.
Disengagement was now the only objective option. The decision on the route to be taken was made without the soldiers of the first company being aware of what was happening on the other battlefields. The heroic men are unaware that, despite the fact that they themselves remained in their positions until the end, the National Guard's defence lines had been broken and therefore they themselves were already surrounded by the Turkish troops.
The 24 members of the group arrive at the heights of Skylura. There they were spotted by the Turkish air force, which launched ruthless attacks. The lads of the 286MP fought the battle of honour and dignity with almost non-existent ammunition, after the long battles that preceded them, with no supplies, exhausted and worn out from both the battles and the trek.
On those heights, the lads of the 286MP pass forever into the Pantheon of the Immortals, into the eternity of Cypriot history.
On those heights, the lads of the 286MP pass forever into the Pantheon of the Immortals, into the eternity of Cypriot history. There they write their names in gold letters in the black pages of 1974.
It took 36 years to identify the remains of 20 of the 24 men of the team. The fate of the other four brave lads remains unclear to this day. The 20 heroes of the 286MP were buried with proper honours. Investigations into the fate of the remaining four brave braves continue to this day.
Subsequent analyses determined that the small bones identified belong to 16 of the 20 heroes already identified.
Our 16 heroes are. Agathokleous Hercules of Christofis from Agios Tychonas
2. Theodoulos Theodoulos Theodoulos of George from Palikythro
3. Ioannou Marios of Georgios from Kakopetria
4. Iona Paraschos of Christos from Nissou
5. Kostas Catalanos of Christoforos from Agios Epiphanios
6. Kyprianou Michael of Christofis from Geroskipou
7. Michael Michael Michaelakis of George from Strovolos
8. Michael Michalakis of Christodoulos from Pentageia
9. Kyriakos Nearchou of Christos from Agios Dimitrianos
10. Panagi Panagiotis of Neokleous from Marathovouno
11. Pitti Markos of Andreas from Dali
12. Cadet Lieutenant Papadopoulos Konstantinos Papadopoulos of Charalambos from Nicosia
13. Sergeant Papaioannou Antonios of Savvas from Nicosia
14. Corporal Demetriou Georgios of Peter from Xylotympou
15. Corporal Tsangari John of Michael from Dymes
16. Private Stylianou Savvas of Eleftherios from Kaimakli.
The family of Private Stylianou Savvas for health reasons will proceed with the burial of the additional identified bones at a later stage.
Our other four heroes whose bones were identified only in the first phase are. Sergeant Psaltis Giannakis Michael
2. Private Fandaros Charalambos Savva
3. Private Psyllou Kyriakos Petrou
4. Soldier Mousoulos Stavros Ioannis
The reforestation of the hills by the occupation regime and the possible movement of bones caused only a few bones of our 20 heroes to be found in the area of Skyloura (Lapatsa hill), while for the other four heroes no bone is identified among those found.
The fate of four men of the 286MP is still unknown: Lieutenant Joseph Sergidis, Sergeant Kostas Gavriel, Private Marios Nikolaou and Corporal Sokratis Sokratous.
The heroes of the 286MP fought with vigour, strength of soul and determination. They did not faint in the face of imminent danger and stood up with virtue and courage against the enemy, sacrificing what was most precious, their own lives, for the freedom of our homeland.
Their virtue and courage, their offer and sacrifice are an example and beacon of our every effort. They are an example of the rich reserves of philanthropy, heroism and selfless love for our country and freedom that our country possesses. Their great moral and spiritual endurance proves their devotion to the ideals of freedom and human dignity, to which they dedicated their lives. Our pride in these men, who personified virtue half a century later, is even more intense.
We feel proud of the legacy they have left us. Because our lads gave their lives for our freedom and the independence of our country. The Republic of Cyprus owes its existence to these heroes and we owe our dignity as free people to them.
Today's ceremony is the minimum duty of all of us towards the freedom heroes of our homeland, who were on the front line, exposed to the Turkish forces, paying a heavy toll of blood, and to their families. To the heroic lads, who with enviable courage, bravery, strength of soul and daring, stood firm and resisted the attack and the imposition of the Turkish army. To our heroes, the brave men, who "never moved by debt", fought to the end and fell heroically fighting for the defence of our homeland, to preserve the values and freedom of our country.
Fifty years later we stand before them with awe and make a promise, firstly that their memory will remain unquenched and secondly that we will fight, struggle and work with all our strength until the day when their sacrifice will be vindicated.
At the same time, as a state, we pledge that our efforts will be continuous to ascertain the fate not only of our four missing persons from the heroic Scylla team of the 286MTF, but also of all our other missing persons, a wound that has remained open for half a century, causing unbearable pain to hundreds of families.
Soon, the martyred land of Cyprus will once again open its bowels to welcome the remains of our fifteen heroes. After years of suffering, the souls of the heroically fallen men of the 286MP will be able to fly free. The comrades-in-arms, the families of the men of the Mechanized Infantry Battalion and the families of our 15 heroes deserve to be proud of their valor. At the same time, the Cypriot people are called upon to learn lessons and make their sacrifice a beacon and guide for new generations and the struggles they will continue to wage until the liberation of our country.
Allow me at this point to address the members of the 286MTP Association and express my sincere thanks and gratitude as a citizen of the Republic of Cyprus for putting at the call of the homeland at its disposal all that is most precious to you. Your contribution to the country and your continuous action to date not only makes us proud, but also creates a great responsibility towards our history and a debt to future generations, to whom we have the duty to pass on the enormous impact of your contribution.
We draw from your example and continue the struggle by other means, with the same determination and perseverance, to achieve our common goal. The President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, is making every possible effort for the better management of the issue of our missing persons. Regardless of the difficulties and problems, we continue the struggle to determine the fate of our last missing person and to locate our fallen. It is our commitment, obligation and duty to our heroes and to you, the relatives of our heroes. Towards the sacrifice of our heroes and as a minimum expression of our gratitude towards their sacrifice, but also our commitment to keep the memory of our heroes, who remained faithful to the oath, unquenched: "I will not storm the holy weapons, nor forsake the defender, though I stand, and I will defend both holy and sacred, alone and with many, and I will not fail to surrender my country."
Eternal is their memory and light and honoured is the soil that will also cover these bones of our heroes.
(PM/MS)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
