Of Gods and Men

 

81 years ago we were forced to fight a war we had never wished for. Our small country with outdated armed forces, obsolete arms and no means, had to defend itself from an empire with the most advanced military equipment at that time, and with a mighty power of hundreds of thousands heavily armed troops that they could just walk through!

There was only one answer against fascism and that answer was heard loud and clear: OXI ( = No)! Italy had ten times the fire-power of Greece and overwhelming land, air and sea superiority. But we won. We won spiritually, psychologically and practically in the extreme cold mountains and fields of Northern Epirus, nowdays in Albania. It was the first defeat of the Axis powers and the first liberation of territory captured by the Axis powers.

 

The price paid from both sides was high. Blood, sweat and tears. There is nothing good at war. No greatness, no pride, no honour! History is full of it. History is written with blood, sweat and tears...

 

We all know that people make the same mistakes again and again, because they never really learn. Sooner or later we might have to defend our small homeland from fascism and oppression - once more, and we shall prevail again, not because we have the strength or the fire-power but because we have the will to defend ourselves and what is fair and just!

 

Till then, we will be commemorating our grandfathers who fought and sacrificed themselves for our freedom, and we will be preserving their their legacy to us and to all mankind!