-
.
- Ελληνικά
Holy Church of Saint Eustatius Megaplatanos of Aridaia, Pella
June 4, 2024
With feelings of reverence, infinite respect, deep emotion and pride, we are gathered here today to pay our last respects to Lieutenant Constantine Tsagalidis. We are gathered here today to pay tribute to this worthy young man of Hellenism. To escort to his final resting place a hero who did not reckon with death and sacrificed his youth on the altar of freedom for his homeland.
The epilogue of the tragic story of the worthy, brilliant son of Hellenism, Konstantinos Tsagalidis, is written here today in the place where he was born and raised. Constantine is returning today to his birthplace, the land that gave birth to him, to be buried with the honours befitting a hero who was present at the call of his homeland without a second thought. His name is written with indelible ink in our history and in the pantheon of heroes of Cypriot freedom.
The Reserve Lieutenant (PZ) Tsagalidis Konstantinos of Apostolos and Panagiota was born in 1941 and comes from Megaplatanos Aridaia, Pella Prefecture.
Tsagalidis served in the ELDYK and on 18.4.1965, while on duty within his camp, he was fatally wounded in the heart by a gun discharge.
Tsagalidis was buried in the cemetery of Saints Constantine and Helen in Cyprus and was identified in April 2017 after an excavation.
Tsagalidis was buried in the cemetery of Saints Constantine and Helen in Cyprus and was identified in April 2017 after an excavation. The skeleton is complete and has since remained at the Anthropological Laboratory of the Republic of Cyprus.
The Office of Humanitarian Affairs for Missing and Trapped Persons of the Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus is today closing wounds that have remained open for decades. After consultation with the family, we proceeded with the General Staff of the Hellenic Army to repatriate the remains of our hero. On May 30, 2024, all due honors were paid by the State in the presence and under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. He returns to the bowels of the land that gave birth to him. Always forward and haughty. He returns immortal along with the rest of the brave heroes.
Respected relatives of the hero, in conclusion, I would like to address you. I know that neither words nor any manifestations can alleviate your pain, your immense and inconsolable sorrow for the fate of your loved one.
But the legacy left by Constantine, even in his later years, is a model of pride, principles and values and shows all of us the path of responsibility and duty.
We stand with awe and pride, not against you, but beside you, and we assure you that it is our duty to continue the struggle, because duty is first and foremost a matter of the soul. The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Christodoulides, supports and stands by the families of our heroes. I am here to convey his clear message that Cyprus-Macedonia relations are further strengthened and that, regardless of the difficulties and problems, we continue the struggle for vindication. It is our commitment, obligation and duty towards our heroes and the relatives of our heroes. Our respect, admiration, appreciation and pride will accompany you forever.
Eternal and honoured is your memory, our Constantine, of Apostolos and Panagiota, and may the earth that will cover you be light.
(RM/GS/AF)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
