It is with feelings of emotion and immense respect that we have come here today, in the Holy Church of Saint Kosmas the Aetolian, to pay the appropriate tribute to three of the thirteen heroes of the unspeakable tragedy of 11 July 2011, after the deadly explosion in Mari.
Eleven years have passed since that black dawn of 11 July that left an indelible mark on our souls, with all the devastating consequences of the horrific explosion at the Naval Base. The 13 lads who perished were called to duty from the very first moment, without fainting or counting on the mortal danger they were in, after the ignition of a huge quantity of explosive materials contained in the containers.
We commemorate today and express our eternal gratitude to Commodore Andreas Ioannidis, Lieutenant Kleant Kleanthis Kleanthous and Petty Officer Antonis Charalambous, who gave their lives on the altar of duty. We place our crowns of honour to our three fallen comrades who passed into eternity during their heroic efforts to prevent destruction and protect the personnel, on that tragic morning when the catastrophic fire occurred, inside the naval base.
At the same time, we reverently bow our heads and pray for the repose of the souls of the other victims of the tragedy: Captain Lambros Lambros, Lieutenant Michalis Irakleous, Petty Officers Christos and Miltos Christoforos, Lieutenant Andreas Papadopoulos and Sergeants George Giakoumis, Spyros Tantatis, Adamos Adamos, Vassilis Krokos and Panagiotis Theofilou.
The ancient historian Thucydides, wishing to urge his fellow Athenians to show bravery on the battlefield in Pericles' "Epitaph", submits that, "they, who all together offered their lives, each individually received the eternal praise and the most glorious grave, not the one in which they are buried, but the one in which their glory remains and is eternally remembered on every occasion that presents itself." And the memory of the 13 fallen braves of Marie will remain and be eternally commemorated, on every occasion, to remind us all of their sacrifice but at the same time of the criminal errors and omissions of the State that led to this unspeakable tragedy.
The sacrifice of the 13 heroes of Marie is surely the most tragic consequence of all the disastrous results of the explosion. The loss of human lives through no fault of their own cannot be compared to any material or other catastrophe. Their unequal struggle with the inferno of fire and the explosive mixture to prevent further destruction proves conclusively that self-denial and self-sacrifice in the performance of duty distinguished them all. With their deaths they were recorded in capital letters in the modern history of our country's heroes.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Andreas Ioannidis, Kleanthis Kleanthous and Antonis Charalambous, whom we commemorate today, as well as the other unfortunate lads, were simple people like us, everyday people, family men and conscientious citizens. But they were people who carried within them the proud Greek soul and spirit. They were all models of morality and altruism.
On that black morning of July 11, they turned to danger without cowardice, without turning their backs on duty even when the situation was getting worse and the fire was impossible to control. He was a model of an honorable Greek officer for whom his colleagues and subordinates still speak highly of him to this day. On the night the containers came under fire he was on the front line fighting the battle with his men to contain the danger. How else could a Greek captain, brought up with the principles and values of Hellenism, abandon "his ship"? He too was imbued with high ideals and values, and grew up from a young age with a passion for giving back to his country and society. He remained on the front line with his beloved commander and friend. Without hesitation, without cowardice, without thinking of giving up the fight. He put the we above the I and fought until the last moment for the common good.
Together with the officers and their commander, the young enlisted sailors acted in the same way. They had in them the valor and courage of the Greek soldier who is not "overshadowed by any fear". We commemorate today the petty officer Antonis Charalambous, who with self-denial fought his own battle until the last moment, proving the philanthropy and conscientiousness of our conscripted children. Anthony, who was much beloved by the naval family for his excellent character, succumbed to his wounds three days later. His respected parents, in an act of humanity, gave their consent for organ donation, giving hope of life to our fellow human beings who were suffering.
Greeks,
That tragic explosion of July 11, 2011, will haunt us for a lifetime as a nightmare for the mistakes, omissions, irresponsibility and inefficiency of state mechanisms. There can be no doubt that the criminal negligence of those who handled the container of death situation led to the tragic deaths of 13 of our fellow human beings who, at the risk of their personal lives, went to the guardhouse to prevent the disaster. Unfortunately, fate had the worst in store for them. They left this life, leaving their families with a huge why.
The sacrifice of the heroes of Marie is a symbol of self-awareness, but also of accountability for the future. We as a state must collectively and in a coordinated manner take those decisions that will not allow new tragedies in the future. Commander Andreas Ioannidis, Lieutenant Cleant Kleanthis Kleanthous, Petty Officer Antonis Charalambous and the others who were sacrificed, from the ashes of the deadly explosion, became the cause of renewed hope for a better tomorrow.
Their memory will be eternal and honored.
(NΓ)
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