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It is with great emotion that I am here today, at the unveiling of the Monument erected in memory of the two heroic forest firefighters Andreas Sofokleous and Marios Aristotelous, who lost their lives during the extinguishing of the catastrophic fire in the Solea area, in June 2016.
I would also like to express my sincere congratulations to the members of the Complex of Communities of Solea for the proposal and the initiative for the erection of a Monument in the area of the Community of Agios Theodoros, as well as for its implementation by the Department of Forests.
This monument will honour the memory of the two heroic forest firefighters and will remind visitors not only of the results of the Solea fire but also of all forest fires, where human lives are endangered, property and infrastructure are destroyed and total ecological destruction occurs. It will stand here timelessly and remind visitors that, like this year's motto of the Forestry Department, "Only with a sense of responsibility" can forests and the countryside be protected and each of us must be very careful in our various actions, as these can turn into tragic ones with huge losses.
Dear friends,
With today's event we honour two worthy children of our country, two brave men of the Forestry Department who lost their lives on June 20, 2016, at the moment when they were performing the greatest duty, that of defending the country and its people.
We honor the two braves whose integrity of character and heroism will be a reference point and an example to be emulated. Two brave men who, together with the late Pavlos Jesus and Stelios Demokritou, who also sacrificed themselves in the battle with the flames in August 1997 (the former) and September 2006 (the latter), are a beacon in the effort to protect the forest wealth of our island.
Andreas Sofokleous was born in Nicosia in May 1967.
Andreas Sofokleous was born in Nicosia in May 1967. He joined the Forestry Department in May 2004 as a seasonal hourly employee and in 2010 he became a regular hourly employee. He served since 2005 as a forest firefighter during the summer season, showing great zeal and willingness in the performance of his duties, while in August 2007 he participated in the Forestry Department's mission to extinguish the fires in Greece.
He lost his life due to the overturning of the fire-fighting vehicle he was driving while fighting a forest fire in Solea, in the valley of Agios Theodoros, in the "Vouni" location of the Adelphi Forest.
Marios Aristotelous was born in Nicosia in June 1972.
Marios Aristotelous was born in Nicosia in June 1972. He joined the Forestry Department in June 1992 as a seasonal hourly employee and in August 1993 he became a regular hourly employee.
He breathed his last breath at the Nicosia General Hospital where he had been taken seriously injured, in the same accident where Andreas Sofokleous died, while extinguishing a forest fire in Solea, in the Agios Theodoros valley, in the "Vouni" location of the Adelphi Forest.
Dear friends,
The state, appreciating their contribution and sacrifice, declared and paid hero's honours to the two lads and activated the mechanisms to provide all possible support to their families.
In conclusion, I would like to close with a promise.
Late Andreas and Marius, true to your memory and sacrifice, the forests must and will be protected. This is a sacred duty to your sacrifice, but also an obligation for future generations.
Eternal be your memory.
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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