28η Οκτωβρίου1940

OCTOBER 26, 2019

The National Heraldwww.thenationalherald.com

TH

E NATIONAL HERA

LD

By Constantine S. Sirigos

George Malamos and his sis-ter and two brothers are 2ndgeneration Greek-Americans.He was born Pensacola, Florida;his grandfather immigrated toAmerica in 1904.

Living the full Diaspora ex-perience – Greek school, GreekOrthodox Church, etc. – ‘OXIDay’ was part of his life, but firstonly as a holiday.

“There was always a lun-cheon after Church in the An-nunciation of Pensacola, but Ididn’t know what it was allabout”

When he was 14, however,the chance to celebrate inGreece caused him to realizethat the Greeks did somethingspecial after October 28, 1940.

“I went to the parade in Vo-los, and I saw all the flags andthe students, and the soldiers”– there might have been a tankto impress him too.

“The atmosphere, the enthu-

siasm of the people caused meto feel the same way and then Ilearned the actual story afterstarting to ask myself questionswhile I was in Greece: “What isthis about? Why do they call itOXI?”

He searched and learnedabout the history of Greece’sWWII triumphs and travails,from the Italian Ambassador’sultimatum that was rejected byPrime Minister Ioannis Metaxas,hence the ‘OXI – No!’ to thefierce Greek resistance thatpushed the Italian invaders backinto Albania – ultimately wreck-ing Hitler’s plans for the inva-sion of Russia, constituting aturning point in WWII.

“When I returned to States Iwanted to continue to learn andto help celebrate this holidayabout Greece. By the time I was17 I read some books about thefull significance of the OXI. TheGreek resistance was one of thebricks in the wall that stoppedHitler.”

He was also impressed tolearn that the heroism in Greeceturned around public percep-tions of the humble Greek im-migrant. He learned as wellabout endeavors like the mas-sive AHEPA war bonds fundrais-ing efforts.

Malamos noted the impor-tance of the bond campaigneven for Greece itself. “After thewar, Greece was devastated, butthe Americans recognized whatthe Greek people did, and theimportance of the role Greeceplayed when other countries inEurope just put down the gunsand let the invaders walk in.That appreciation promptedAmerica to help Greece throughthe Marshall Plan and the grantsof “the blessed Liberty Ships”that rebuilt the Greek merchant

fleet.The pride and reverence gen-

erated by his ‘OXI Day’ enlight-enment, and the sacrifices ofthose Hellenes before he wasborn helped shape Malamos’life, and AHEPA was a powerfulvehicle for expressing his Hel-lenism and philanthropy.

At one point, he decided tobe more active in AHEPA. “Ireached an age where I beganto see things in a new light. TheUnited States gave everythingto my grandfather, my father,and my self…and I wanted togive back to the community, firstin the States, and now inGreece.”

Malamos was part of theteam led by Nick Gavalas whorebuilt Daphne, Chapter 296and eventually became its pres-ident. He is proud that Chapter296 restored the parish’s Greek

school, and he led the effort tobuild the AHEPA HousingDaphne #296 senior citizenscomplex. “I had to apply for thepermits three times,” he said,but he did not give up – he alsomade substantial financial con-tributions and supervised theconstruction every day afterwork.

After full life in America anda successful career as a mechan-ical engineer he moved toGreece in 2012, acting on hisphilosophy that “you go throughlife, you get your degrees andjobs, you make your money, youget married and have kids, butthen truly you want to enjoylife, because money is not every-thing. But when I came here, Ididn’t want to drop my arms atmy side and just retire, I wantedto help build a new Greece.”

“I recognize the importanceof AHEPA and what they did forthe immigrants in the States,but there are different chal-lenges here,” that the AHEPAspirit and ethos could address,“the national problems, theTurkish threat, the economy, en-ergy.”

He is committed to findingthe best way to get the Diasporato help.

He joined and rose to be-come president of one of themore dynamic AHEPA chaptersin Greece, Solon #4 in Halandri,and now also serves as the Di-rector of Greece-America Rela-tions for Greece, AHEPA District25.

Small and medium-sized en-terprises (SMEs) are an impor-tant part of his vision for Greece,and he helps them enter theAmerican market.

He also wants to help youngGreek professionals look at lifea little differently, “to see the fu-ture from a different perspec-tive, and to benefit from Amer-ican values.” Malamos also isworking to support their educa-tional and professional pursuitsthrough mentoring and scholar-ships, “because they are the fu-ture of Greece.”

The NAI!, YES! of a NewGreece the Diaspora can helpbuild.

Oxi Day Special2 THE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019

The Washington Oxi Day

Foundation

celebrates the profound role

Greece played in bringing about

the outcome of World War II

and honors today those whose

David vs. Goliath courage,

like the Greeks in WWII,

can alter history and

preserve freedom and democracy.

Andy Manatos, PresidentMike Manatos, Executive Director

OXI DAYOCTOBER 28, 1940

www.OxiDayFoundation.org

TNH Staff

JERSEY CITY, NJ – The Honorable Tahesha Way, New Jersey Sec-retary of State, is among the participants scheduled to attend the2019 ‘OXI’ Day Commemoration and Genocide Conference on Sat-urday, October 26 at the Historic Central Terminal, Blue CometAuditorium, Liberty State Park, 1 Audrey Zapp Drive in Jersey City.

The event is free and begins with a complimentary luncheonreception, 11:30 AM, followed by a panel discussion, 12:30-1:30PM, on the Greek Genocide.

The participants include: The Honorable Tahesha Way, Oxi Dayevent Co-Chair Asteris Fanikos, Councilman and Oxi Day eventCo-Chair Dimitri Kontolios, Not Even My Name author Thea Halo,Worcester State University Genocide Scholar Dr. Dikran Kaligianv,and Genocide expert Paul Pavlakos.

A flag raising and moment of silence will be held at 1:30 PM,followed by coffee and desserts, and a folk dance performance.

The event is sponsored by: AHEPA Hudson Chapter #108, NJHellenic American Heritage Commission, Hellenic Federation ofNew Jersey, and the Pontos Society of New Jersey.

Ample parking and easy access available.For more information and to RSVP email:

Zenon@christodoulou.net Website: oxi-day.com.

The Greeks have always been known for their courage,loyalty and ability to overcome when the odds are not intheir favor. This was made especially evident when Greekleader Ioannis Metaxas’ famous “NO” to Italy’s dictator

Benito Mussolini on October 28, 1940, regarding the fascist de-mand for Italian troops to occupy certain regions of Greece forstrategic purposes during WWII, led to the subsequent celebrationof OXI Day.

Greece successfully resisted Italy’s attack in what was to beknown as the beginning of the Greco-Italian War. Italy had an-nexed Albania in 1939 and tension began to grow between Italyand Greece – leading the Greeks to fortify their border with Alba-nia. When Mussolini demanded that the Greeks turn over territory

to him, Metaxas told him that under no circumstances would heagree to an Italian occupation of Greece.

Mussolini decided to invade Greece anyway – which wouldsoon prove to be the commencement of a disastrous military cam-paign for Italy. Mussolini surprised everyone with the move againstGreece – even Adolf Hitler.

Hitler denounced the move as a major strategic blunder. Ac-cording to Hitler, Mussolini should have concentrated on NorthAfrica, continuing the advance into Egypt. Despite the warning,Mussolini moved ahead out of sheer hubris, convinced he coulddefeat the Greeks in a matter of days. The Greeks succeeded inpushing the Italian invaders back into Albania after just one weekand the Axis power spent the next three months fighting for its

life in a defensive battle.The Greeks’ actions compelled the likes of Franklin D. Roo-

sevelt, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill to praise their undyingspirit. Although a small country in relative terms, our hearts andour fight transcend us.

The commemoration of Oxi Day should never lose its luster -it is as significant today as it was during World War II. Somewould argue that it is perhaps even more important today - whenthere is continuing oppression and persecution of minoritiesaround the world. Let us continue to honor this day in our historyand let us never forget where we come from.

Vanessa DiamatarisEditor-Publisher

The Meaning of ‘OXI Day’ – Remember the Heroes, Continue the Struggle

George Malamos

AHEPA Solon presents eventsthroughout the year. Above atthe Hellenic American UnionGeorge Malamos is with pastND Minister Petros Doukasand HAU staff who helpedwith the event. Below (L-R)Alex Mally, past U.S. ConsulGeneral in Thessaloniki,George Skouras, Pres. of EK-FIM, and George Malamo.

COURTESY OF DR. ZENON CHRISTODOULOU

OXI Day Commemorationand Genocide Conference

in New Jersey, Oct. 26

EDITORIAL

Commemorating the 28th of October 1940

Oxi Day SpecialTHE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019 3

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On the 28th of October 1940, Greecewas given three hours to decide between war and peace.

But even if a three day, three week or a three year deadline was given,

Greece's response would have been the same.

The Greeks taught dignity throughout the centuries.

When the entire world had lost all hope, the Greek people dared to question

the invincibility of the German monster

and raised against it the proud spirit of freedom.

Franklin D Roosevelt, US President 1933 - 1945

Oxi Day Special4 THE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019

By Nicholas Kalis

The challenge facing Athensin 2028 is not the Los AngelesOlympics scheduled for thatyear; rather, a more forebodingdeadline awaits. While the Re-public of Turkey towers over theHellenic Republic in population,land mass, GDP, and size of mil-itary manpower; a rough parityin naval, air, and armored vehi-cle forces exists between the tra-ditional two foes. That roughparity – which hitherto hasmaintained the peace, could becoming to a crashing end withstealth aircraft Turkey targetsfor 2025 delivery. A mockup ofthis TF-X fighter was revealedat the 2019 Paris Air Show.Temel Kotil President and CEOof TAI vowed his plane wouldbe real in 2023 with a first flightin 2024 and in service in 2028.Could a fleet of stealth fightersallow Ankara to achieve air su-periority and then destroy anyparity Athens enjoys in navaland land armored forces? Cau-tion dictates Athens answer thatquestion with a ‘yes’ and pre-pare to counter.

CHALLENGES FACED BYGREECE

Greece’s relationship withTurkey is already fraught withchallenges: Turkish energy ex-ploration in the Aegean; Islamresurgent under Erdogan; a bur-geoning Turkish population(nearly 84 million at present);Erdogan having posed in frontof a map showing much of theAegean as Turkish territory; andTurkish violation of Greek FlightInformation Region (FIR) re-sponsibilities. No single Turkishprovocation is life threateningfor Greece but taken in their to-tality – include Erdogan’s vocalrefutations of the Treaty of Lau-sanne (1923) – they spell exis-tential danger for Greece. Hav-ing taken to dressing Turkishguards in Ottoman uniforms, Er-dogan, enjoying great popular-ity, built the Ak Saray palacesaid to hold almost 1,000rooms. While tempting to dis-miss such developments asmerely anecdotal, as symbolsthey add up to a more threaten-ing Turkish stance. By them-selves they would might not addup to much of a threat exceptrecent Middle East develop-ments seem to serve as a tinderbox for a wider conflagration –witness Erdogan’s past provoca-tions of Israel.

Some challenges facingAthens, however, are of Greece’sown making such as an eco-nomic crisis fueled by excessivedebt that led to a 26 percentshrinking of its economy in percapita terms between 2007 andthe start of 2014. A country fac-ing a hostile neighbor such asTurkey allowed itself at its perilan economic debacle such asGreece has experienced.

Greece cannot chanceTurkey’s stealth fighter-garneredsuperiority will not soon arrive.Turkey’s forty-six-year history ofaircraft manufacturing beganwhen Turkish Aircraft IndustriesCorporation was established in1973. Eleven years later, TurkishAerospace Industries (TAI) wasestablished to cooperate with F-16 production. While Turkey

has an in-depth experience inmilitary production, it probablywill rely on outside technical ex-pertise to pull off a domesticallydesigned stealth fighter. That isthe big question mark – willAnkara be able to contract withforeign firms to fill technicalgaps in designing and manufac-turing stealth fighters.

In contrast, Hellenic Aero-space Industry, founded by theGreek state in 1975, has no his-tory of delivering entire aircraftsave for co-producing the F-16.By purchasing stealth F-35sfrom the United States as is nowunder consideration, Greecemay only blunt some of the ad-vantage their TF-X would conferon Turkey.

CHALLENGES FACED BYTURKEY

Even a psychological profileof Erdogan gives cold comfortto anyone seeking an optimisticfuture for Greek-Turkish rela-tions. Erdogan has never livedabroad, has no advanced edu-cational credentials, and comesfrom a family with little sophis-tication. These observations, arenot meant to belittle him, rather,they point to an individual withlittle broad experience or knowl-edge of the world outsideTurkey’s borders. Eventually dic-tators or dictators in the makingwill gradually increase theirpowers, garner a string of suc-cesses until they launch a for-eign adventure that may or notbring them success.

Erdogan – or another Is-lamist successor – has been stok-ing Turkish resentment at whathe calls having “lost” the AegeanIslands to Greece under theTreaty of Lausanne. He may feelpressured to deliver the goodsfor his people in the matter ofthe contiguous islands. A vastPresidential palace, Ottomanuniforms, and allowing headscarfs in universities will even-tually not suffice to slake a thirstfor national triumphs Erdoganhas stoked. More recent chal-lenges Turkey faces that couldmake Ankara lash out againstGreece include 3.6 million Syr-ian refugees (while fellow Mus-lims, they are Arabs, not Turkicpeople) living within its borders.Feeling threatened by Kurdsboth within Turkey’s bordersand without could spark Ankarato light a military conflagrationwith Greece in a misguided at-tempt to curry domestic favor.

THE SEARCH FOR APROTECTOR – A

HISTORICAL OVERVIEWFinding a foreign protector

has been the core challenge anddebate in Greece since thefounding of the modern Greekstate. During the reign of KingOtto, Greek political life wasshaped by the English, French,and Russian parties. These par-ties were distinguished by whichoutside power Greek elites be-lieved Greece should choose asan ally to best suit Greek na-tional interests. Even domesticpolitics in Greece have beenshaped by patron-client para-digm that exists to this day.

WWI again saw a split inGreek political culture as itsRoyalist-Venizelist split echoedthe question of which side to

take in the Great War. Athenssurely does recall Britain andthe United States did infiltratecombatants to assist in a guerillawar against Nazi occupation. Ina sense the Greek civil war of1945-1949 similarly was a bat-tle between those who favoredan alliance with the West versusthose who saw ties with the East(the Soviet Union) as best serv-ing Greek interests. U.S. assis-tance in the form of military aid(Truman Doctrine) and the Mar-shall Plan helped turn the tidein Greece in favor of the Westand somewhat settled this dis-pute for a time until many inGreece came to resent Washing-ton for its perceived support ofthe Junta that took power in1967..

So, it would seem the pathof allying with an outside poweris a well-worn path for modernGreece. But not so fast. With theGreco-Turkish war of 1919-1922, relying on assurances byoutside powers – the WWI allies– resulted in a military disaster.A constant in Greek public opin-ion is its recollection of hungGreek leaders’ of the 1921 de-bacle. Leaders in Athens under-stand Greece is unlikely to re-ceive outside help – witness thesinking of the Greek destroyerElli on August 15 1940 andGreek resistance to Mussolini’soverland invasion met by the fa-mous “OXI” (No!) of Metaxas.No other nation came toGreece’s rescue then nor did anystate come to the rescue of the

Greeks in Cyprus when Turkeyinvaded.

If it cannot take a lessonfrom a wider historical recordthat small nations must alignthemselves with stronger pro-tectors, Athens need only takea cue from the Republic ofCyprus – an ethnically Greekstate that chose a policy of non-alignment. Many foreign policyanalysts may be too young torecall the Non-Aligned Move-ment (NAM) which Nicosia sawas its natural home. Results areplain for all to see – an illegalTurkish occupation of NorthernCyprus since 1974 that non-aligned Nicosia was hopeless tooppose without a strong militaryally. A recent movie propoundsthe Greek Cypriot point of viewbut will have little effect in dis-lodging Turkish troops from theNorth.

What about NATO? NATOhas failed in the past to checkTurkish aggressive actionsagainst Greece and reports arethat NATO does not take sidesin Turkish provocations regard-ing FIR violations. Greece needsmore than NATO membershipto assure itself of protectionagainst a resurgent Turkey whoalso is a NATO member. Witnessthe US-UK relationship: both areNATO members but the specialrelationship – a term first usedby Winston Churchill in a 1946speech – does not flow out ofthe mutual membership. Thecornerstone of this relationshipis intelligence sharing which

marks it as different from just aNATO-based relationship. TheUnited States and Britain havesupported each other in manymilitary challenges with bootson the ground.

A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIPWITH THE U.S.

During the Korean WarGreece was the fifth largest con-tributor of troops to UN Forcesin Korea. Is it time for Greece toreplicate such support for theUnited States? How can this bedone? Greece – unless it wantsto try its luck with the Russians– must try to emulate the rela-tionship the United Statesshares with the UK. Easier saidthan done – indeed, its is per-haps impossible to replicate.Seems Athens has little choicethan to try, however.

The clock is ticking forGreece with a significant mile-stone being 2028 when Turkeyclaims it will have a fleet ofstealth aircraft operational.Even were Greece to obtain F-35s – a dicey proposition due tocosts – Athens must find a spe-cial protector with the UnitedStates probably the only suitablecandidate to fill this role.

Any special relationship withWashington will come at a price– Greece must send groundtroops in support of U.S. actionsin conflicts around the worldwhere American ground forcesare committed to evince astrong solidary with the UnitedStates. And by ground troops,

this commentator means fight-ing men, not just logistical orother technical support. Doubt-less an easier path will besought – naval cooperation andGreek-American lobbying beingthe low hanging fruit that willdeliver little value. There is littlechance Greek-American influ-ence can spark this special rela-tionship – the apex of the longarc of Greek-American influencein Washington is likely longpast. Other interest groups havesince displaced Greek-Ameri-cans from the table of publicpolicy.

CONCLUSIONThough anti-Americanism

has beat a retreat in Greece,chances are modest that Athenswill overcome Greek publicwariness of further entangle-ment with the United States.Greek public opinion is shapedby schools teaching the debacleof the Greco-Turkish War(1919–1922) and its aftermath;the Dekemvriana Events bywhich British troops disarmedleftist Greek forces in December1944 (some of whose membershad wished the Greek Civil Warhad gone the other way); re-sentments over perceived U.S.backing of the 1967-1974 Junta;further resentments about per-ceptions of U.S. inaction tocounter Turkey’s invasion ofCyprus; and perhaps even re-sentment that Greece’s eco-nomic woes were not of theirown making.

Not to be overlooked is theapplicability here of the oldchestnut – “what have you donefor me lately?” and its corollaryof a lack of appreciation for thehistorical record. Yes, Greecewas on the allied side in bothWWI and WWII, not to mentionthe Cold War – contrast thatwith Turkey being on the wrongside so to speak in WWI and be-ing neutral in WWII save for itslast few weeks. Yet, U.S. policymakers will ask “what have youdone for me lately” as it reflectstwo foundational pillars of hu-man nature and hence foreignaffairs – short memories andfleeting gratitude.

Nicholas Kalis holds a Master’sof International Affairs fromwhat is today Columbia Univer-sity’s School of Internationaland Public Affairs and a JD fromAntonin Scalia Law School,George Mason University

VIEWPOINT

Will Greece Survive 2028?

By Stavros Stavridis

This article is based on aninterview conducted with my latefather some thirty years ago justbefore his death. Please take thetime to record your familyhistory. Otherwise, it will be lostforever.

I remember as a young boymy father, George talking about‘OXI Day’ with his friends. At thetime, I didn't understand orhave a clue as to what he wastalking about. As I grew older, Istarted to think about what ex-actly is OXI Day anyway. I askedhim and his response was "it'san important day (October 28,1940) when the Greek dictator,Ioannis Metaxas told the ItalianAmbassador in Athens, ‘NO, youcannot pass through our terri-tory.’” The Italian ultimatumgave Greece twenty hours to re-spond in the affirmative.Metaxas told the Italian Ambas-sador: “Alors, c’est la guerre…We will be waiting for you onour western border."

Once was broke out betweenGreece and Italy, my father en-listed in Egypt to fight with theGreek army. However, he neverfought on Greek soil but sawcombat in El Alamein and theMiddle East. My father was bornin Egypt and was very proud ofhis Greek heritage. He consid-ered it his patriotic duty to goto defend the land of his ances-tors. It was through him that Igot interested in Greek historyand of course, OXI Day.

My father told me that aramshackle Greek army foughtagainst a vastly superior enemyon the Greek-Albanian borderand almost drove them into theIonian Sea. He mentioned thatour forces lacked guns, artillery,and munitions against the Ital-ians. Their courage, stamina,confidence, tenacity, and deter-mination were the vital factorsin the Greeks defeating and re-pelling a superior enemy. He re-called reading about it in theGreek press in Egypt.

He was no supporter ofMetaxas but believed the latter'sleadership proved crucial whenGreece faced invasion from Italy.He heard Ioannis Metaxas’ radiobroadcast in Cairo rallying theGreek nation to arms. TheGreek-Egyptian press printedbanner headlines encouraginglocal Greeks to do their patrioticduty. Many went from Egypt to

fight in Greece whilst others likemy father stayed behind. Dadnever explained why he neverwent to Greece.

I remember him laughing atthe idea of Mussolini riding hiswhite horse down the mainthoroughfare of Athens. Mus-solini wanted to be a modern-day Julius Caesar. He thoughtthe Italian dictator was a bom-bastic pompous individual witha big ego. Of course, his ego wasdeflated when the Metaxas toldhim "NO." Even the Italian set-back on the Greek-Albanian bor-der would have driven Mus-solini to the point that "howdare these little Greeks to try todefy me." My father's descrip-

tion of the Greek success re-minded me of the movie: TheMouse that Roared.

Dad told me that our victoryover Italy gave Britain and itsallies the encouragement to re-sist Hitler. Moreover, Hitler wasangry with Mussolini that hisarmy couldn't defeat a smallGreek force. It showed that asmall nation can resist astronger one if it has the will todefend its territory even if oddsare stacked against it. This isone main reason why Germanyinvaded Greece in April 1941.

I remember him saying thatthe British Prime Minister, Win-ston Churchill was emboldenedby the heroism displayed by our

Greeks against the Italians. He(Churchill) thought Greekcourage and heroism weretransferred to the British resis-tance of the Nazis. My father al-ways believed that our soldierswere damn good fighters andwould defend the homeland tothe last man. George said "weGreeks are loud emotional peo-ple but don't like war. Whenprovoked, the enemy betterwatch out."

What does OXI day mean tome? It makes me feel proud tobe Greek and glad my dad in-stilled in me the love for thehomeland of our ancestors. Imust declare that I have neverbeen to Greece, which will sur-prise many people.

I always mark October 28 asan important day on my calen-dar. It's a day of reflection re-membering our heroes who re-sisted and defended the patridafrom invasion. We showed whenthreatened that we can put ourdifferences aside and defendwhat is rightfully ours.

We must never forget Octo-ber 28, 1940, for those whofought and laid down their livesfor us. Their sacrifice allows usto enjoy our present-day free-doms despite the current prob-lems facing Greece. Let October28 serve as an example for pre-sent Greek leaders to stand upand defend its territory from itsneighbors. Long live! October1940.

OXI Day: What Does It Mean to Me

Philotimo ScholarshipWinners Announced by

Washington Oxi Day FdnWASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Oxi Day Foundation an-nounced the winners of the 2019 Philotimo Scholarship Competi-tion this week as it prepared for the its 9th Annual Oxi CourageAwards Gala at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on October24.

Once again, the Foundation received over 70 competitive sub-missions from Greek-American students across the United States.

Students were asked to watch the Foundation’s video, The GreekSecret, on the subject of philotimo and answer one of the followingquestions:▪ What does philotimo mean to you?▪ What are some extraordinary examples of philotimo that you

have seen?▪ What are the things you can do in your daily life to exhibit

philotimo?▪ How can philotimo improve your life?The first place essay was submitted by Lindsey Arruda, a high

school senior in Somerset, Massachusetts. She will receive a $2,000scholarship and attend the Foundation’s Gala.

The Honorable B. Theodore Bozonelis, Trustee of the NicholasJ. and Anna K. Bouras Foundation and Secretary of the Greek Or-thodox Archdiocese of America’s Archdiocesan Council, will presentthe scholarship at the gala.

Arruda’s winning essay focused on extraordinary examples ofphilotimo she has seen – ranging from the shores of Lesvos to theBoston Marathon finish line.

She wrote, "Philotimo is an elusive word, yet it is known to allGreeks, young and old. It transcends race, religion, and culture.Its meaning is defined by the actions and good deeds shown toothers, while expecting nothing in return. Philotimo resides withinall of us and has the power to protect, preserve and to heal humanlife."

The two second place winners, each of whom will receive a$1,000 scholarship are Rafaella Foteni Lambrinos, a high schoolsophomore in Freehold, NJ, and Melina Piperis a high school sopho-more in Omaha, Nebraska.

The two third place winners, each of whom will receive a $500scholarship, are Michaela Gregoriou of Massachusetts and DimitriosJune an eighth grader in Seal Beach, California.

The Foundation congratulates all of the winners and thanks allwho participated in the 2019 Philotimo Scholarship Competition.

Oxi Day SpecialTHE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019 5

a b

AHEPA Headquarters 1909 Q St., NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20009 • Phone: 202.232.6300 • Fax 202.232.2140

American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association,

preserving Hellenism since 1922.

Often duplicated, Never imitated, Join today ahepa.org!

The Order of AHEPA,

Supreme President George G. Horiates,

the Supreme Lodge, and all elected officers,

remember the heroes of October 28, 1940

TNH Staff

WASHINGTON, DC – The lateAlex Spanos is among the hon-orees at this year’s AnnualWashington Oxi Day Celebrationbeginning on October 24.

The Oxi Service Awards willbe presented at The NationalWorld War II Memorial in Wash-ington, DC along with the Ja-haris Service Award.

The award for WWII VeteranAlex Spanos will be accepted byhis son Dean Spanos, intro-duced by former CongressmanDarrell Issa.

Born in Stockton, CA in 1923to Greek immigrant parents,Spanos, one of the six children,worked in his father’s bakeryfrom a young age. He left col-lege to enlist in the U.S. AirForce on February 9, 1942, atthe age of 18. It was his dreamto become a pilot and after pass-ing the required exams he wasaccepted for training.

Spanos was initially trans-ferred to Lincoln Army Air Fieldin Nebraska and then to WayneState College near Sioux City,where he was based in one ofthe Army Air Force pilot trainingprograms. He became a flightofficer.

Halfway through his train-ing, there was an unexpectedseries of events that did not al-low him to complete his train-ing. He was transferred to a B-29 crew, became a gunner andwas sent to Drew Field inTampa, Florida.

He participated in severalmissions and at the end of thewar was transferred to theTurner Army Airfield in Albany,Georgia and then to the NavalAir Station in Santa Ana. Hismilitary service ended in Febru-ary 1946, when he returned tothe family business in Stockton.

While stationed at DrewField, he met his future wife,Faye Papafaklis. After a long-dis-tance courtship, Alex and Faywere married in 1948 in TarponSprings.

After the wedding, they

moved to Stockton, where theyworked side by side in thekitchen of the Roma Lunch Bak-ery, owned by Alex's father. Thecouple raised four children –Dean, Dea, Alexis, and Michael.

Spanos founded the A.G.Spanos Companies in 1960. In1984, he bought 60 percent ofthe then-San Diego Chargersand over the next 10 years heacquired most of the remainingshares.

Today, A.G. Spanos is one ofAmerica's largest home buildersand one of the largest family-owned real estate constructionand management companies inthe United States. It has builtmore than 120,000 units in 19states.

Spanos contributed millionsto schools, hospitals, and chari-ties and received the Medal ofthe Commander of the Order ofHonor from Greek President

Karolos Papoulias in 2008.Spanos passed away at the ageof 95 on October 9, 2018.

Also among the Oxi ServiceAward honorees is World War IVeteran Vasilios S. Haseotes(posthumously). Born in 1892in Politsani, a small village inEpirus which at the time wasunder Ottoman rule, Haseoteswas sent to Constantinople in1904 to live with relatives andattend school where he learnedEnglish. At age 15, he sailed forAmerica to join his brother inMaine. In 1917, he enlisted inthe army, fought in WWI, andwas decorated by both the U.S.and France for his heroic ser-vice.

Haseotes later founded Cum-berland Farms which is celebrat-ing its 80th anniversary thisyear. He was an Archon of theEcumenical Patriarchate andpassed away in 1980 after years

of philanthropic contributionsto various charities. The VasiliosS. and Aphrodite B. HaseotesFamily Foundation continues hislegacy.

Vietnam War Veteran JohnCalamos is this year’s JaharisService Award honoree and willbe introduced by a Jaharis fam-ily member. After college grad-uation, Calamos joined theUnited States Air Force wherehe served as a combat pilot dur-ing the Vietnam War and ulti-mately earned the rank of Ma-jor. He founded CalamosInvestments in 1977.

Keynote remarks at the eventwill be presented by the high-est-ranking Greek-American inthe U.S. armed forces, Lt. Gen-eral Andrew Poppas.

At the Oxi Courage AwardsBlack Tie Gala, which will beheld at the U.S. Institute ofPeace, this year’s Oxi Courage

Award honoree (male) is JamalKhashoggi of Saudi Arabia,(posthumously), introduced bySenate Foreign Relations Com-mittee Ranking Member SenatorBob Menendez.

This year’s Oxi CourageAward (female) honoree isMaria Ressa of the Philippines,nominated by her attorney AmalClooney and introduced by Da-nialle Karmanos.

The Metropolitan Chrysosto-mos Award honors the 75th An-niversary of the resistance of434 Greek Jews at Auschwitz,introduced by Holocaust Mu-seum Board Chairman and 2018Recipient Howard Lorber. It willbe accepted by CongressionalMedal of Honor RecipientColonel Jack Jacobs with a spe-cial greeting by an Auschwitzsurvivor who witnessed thecourage of these 434 heroes.

The Philotimo Scholarship

Award will also be presented atthe gala.

Previous Greek-Americanhonorees include,

Alexander Martin Georgiades(2018)

George Possas (2017)Colonel George Stavridis

(2016)James Moshovitis (2015)Major Nicholas J. Bouras and

James J. Bouras (2014)Lt. Colonel Christopher

Mehiel (2013)Brigadier General Mike P.

Cokinos (2012)Andrew Athens (2011)On Friday, October 25, the

Wreath Laying Ceremony willbe held at the Tomb of the Un-known Soldier at Arlington Na-tional Cemetery.

Oxi Day Special6 THE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019

TNH Staff

WASHINGTON, DC – Represen-tatives Chris Pappas, John Sar-banes, and Gus Bilirakis, mem-bers of the Hellenic Caucus,introduced a resolution on Oc-tober 22 expressing support forthe designation of October 28as ‘Oxi Day’ to commemoratethe Greeks’ refusal to surrenderto Axis forces in the SecondWorld War, stymieing the marchof fascism across Europe.

On October 28, 1940, theambassador of Italian dictator,

Benito Mussolini, delivered a 3AM ultimatum to Greek PrimeMinister Ioannis Metaxas, de-manding that Axis forces freelyenter Greece or face war. In re-sponse, the Greek Prime Minis-ter declared “alors, c’est laguerre – in that case, this iswar.” In other words, ‘Oxi – No!’They refused to fold to the fas-cist ruler, marking Greece’s en-try into World War II. As Italiantroops began to invade, Greekcitizens took to the streetschanting Oxi! in honor of PrimeMinister Metaxas’ refusal to re-

lent to fascism.“On October 28, 1940 our

Greek allies demonstrated un-precedented spirit and courage,changing the trajectory of his-tory,” said Congressman Pappas.“Decades later we continue tocelebrate Greece’s spirited re-fusal to bow to the Axis powersand the fascist values they es-poused. As a member of the Hel-lenic Caucus, I am proud to leadthis resolution that allows us tostand with our Greek allies andcelebrate our shared democraticvalues.”

“I’m proud to join my col-leagues in the Hellenic Caucustoday as we pay tribute to theheroism of the Greek people,who – with a defiant “Oxi!” –rose up against bigotry, hate,and oppression 77 years agoand fiercely resisted the Axis in-vasion,” said Congressman Sar-banes. “The example they set,then and now, serves as a bea-con of hope for freedom anddemocracy across the entireworld.”

“As a proud Greek American,I am honored to help commem-

orate the importance of Oxi Dayand Greece’s significant role inthe defeat of Nazi Germany. Thishistoric day celebrates the inter-nal fortitude and relentless spiritof Hellenes, as well as our prin-cipled commitment to stand upagainst injustice and tyranny, re-gardless of the circumstances,”said Congressman Bilirakis.

“We must never let futuregenerations forget our rich cul-tural heritage which defineswho we are as a people andhelps guide our path forward,”he added.

By Steve Frangos

An accurate history of theGreek diaspora will never bewritten until the community-produced publications ignitedby Oxi Day are finally taken intoaccount. Immediately followingthe Italian invasion of Greece anas yet uncounted number ofbook-length publications wereissued and distributed by Greekimmigrants in the United States

and Great Britain. These bookswere often bilingual compila-tions of articles written by no-table academics and politicians,sections of the U.S. Congres-sional Record, newspaper arti-cles of the invasion and after-math, as well as a host ofeditorial cartoons all aimed atdocumenting the Greek contri-butions to the world war thenunderway. Politicians andprominent local citizens were

given these volumes in thehopes that Greece's sacrifices,contributions and post-warclaims would be understood andremembered after the war. Un-expectedly these volumes alsocontinue to throw light on whatremains unwritten in Greek-American historical accounts –to this very day.

Without question thesebooks were explicit politicaltracts. Scattered among thesevolumes were arguments for thepost-war claims by Greece. I firstbecame aware of the existenceof these volumes some fiftyyears ago. At that time, Isearched through archives, li-brary reference services andquestioned many prominent in-dividuals from the Greek-Amer-ican community who had par-ticipated in the Greek Relief. Atthat time, I found roughly some200 individual volumes of thissort issued both in the UnitedStates and Great Britain. WhileI saw and read through a num-ber of these volumes I now ownonly one.

Since I first learned of theseGreek diaspora community pub-lications I have never seen anymention of these World War IIvolumes in any subsequent his-torical account. Without rancor,but rather after cool reflection,I am now of the opinion thatthese publications are ignoredby virtue of the very fact theywere independently issued bythe diaspora communities.These volumes were and remain‘guilty’ of documenting pointsof view that ran counter to thegoals of Allied politicians. The'rights' of the nation state ofGreece as expressed by thesenumerous locally-based organi-zations clearly did not agreewith those of the Allies. Whilecertain claims for the repatria-tion of various Italian-held is-

land groups to Greece were ac-knowledged, other claims suchas those for union with Cyprusand specific regions in theBalkans as well as North Africawere clearly not to be consid-ered.

This ignoring of the evi-dence, opinions and beliefs ofthose whom historians writeabout is not new nor restrictedsolely to Greeks. Not until thelate 1960s did the notion of,what has become called, 'a his-tory from below,' even enter-tained by scholars. Such a his-torical narrative is one 'thatattempts to account for histori-cal events from the perspectiveof common people rather thanleaders. There is an emphasison disenfranchised, the op-pressed, the poor, the noncon-formists, and otherwise mar-ginal groups.

Nevertheless, with few ex-ceptions, the history of Greeksin the United States is still writ-ten as if the 1960s and alternateinterpretations of history werenever considered or even pub-lished. In these standard histor-ical texts, only White AngloSaxon Protestants 'made' Amer-ica. All other arrivals merelybenefit from the existing system.Somehow, these non-Anglo/Western European immi-grants never contributed any-thing of significance to thenation or its culture.

With the only consequencesfor these later arrivals being asort of second-class citizenwhose only possible option iscomplete assimilation. From thispoint of view 'Becoming White'is the only possible option forthe waves of immigrants whoarrived between 1880 and1920.

And this academic viewpointremains, even in new writingsabout Greeks in the United

States, the acceptable explana-tion for daily reality in currentimmigration studies.

The Greek War Relief for theGreeks living in the UnitedStates was nothing less than ourTrojan War. Fear for the livesand wellbeing of family mem-bers back in Greece, the Balkansand the western Mediterraneanbrought out the best among theGreeks in the United States.Month after month, fund driveafter fund drive individualGreeks were leaders in warbond drives. In point of histori-cal fact, AHEPA was allowed tosell war bonds with their circu-lar stamp on each of thesebonds. In 1980, I saw suchbonds still held by proud Greek

families living in Grand RapidsMichigan. Tons of food, clothingand other essential items weregathered via the all-volunteerGreek Relief chapters scatteredacross the nation. Viable, con-sistently successful relief effortswere conceived and brought toconclusion by Greeks across theUnited States – throughoutWorld War II.

The heroism of the Greeksfacing the Invasion of Italy andthen Germany is an acceptedfact of world history. So, whyare the political aspirations andgeneral relief efforts of Greeksin the United States, Britain –and I suspect wherever Greekswere then found in any numbers– still ignored?

The Forgotten Books of Oxi Day

TNH Staff

NEW YORK – For three perfor-mances only, Cyprus New YorkProductions presents ΚalinichtaMargarita (Goodnight Mar-garita) November 1-3 at St.Demetrios and St. GeorgeChurch, 103rd Street and Lex-ington Avenue in Manhattan.

The play tells the true storyof teacher Margarita Perdikarifrom Ioannina, Greece, duringthe occupation in World War II.The production is under the aus-pices of the Consulate Generalof Greece in New York in col-laboration with the Greek Divi-sion of Ronald McDonald Houseand is perfectly timed to followthe commemoration of Oxi Day,October 28, as well as the 80thanniversary of the start ofWWII.

Tickets are now available on-line via brownpaper tickets.

Performances are Friday,Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2,7:30 PM; and Sunday, Nov. 3,5:30 PM.

The production features astellar cast: Anna Tsoukala,Theodora Loukas, StavrosMarkalas, Theodore Petropou-los, Diodoros Pagoudis, Chris-tiana Kandilioti, Chrysi Sylaidi,Tasos Karydis, AriadnePanagopoulou, Angelo Niakas,Chrisanthos Petsilas, PhytoStratis, Evangeline Zoulas, andAngela Tsamasirou in the titlerole of Margarita Perdikari.

More information is availableby phone: 646-595-7303 andonline: https://www.brownpa-pertickets.com/event/4419201.

Cyprus NYProd. Presents

ΚalinichtaMargarita,Nov. 1-3

Pappas, Sarbanes, Bilirakis Introduce ‘Oxi Day’ Resolution to Honor the Heroism of the Greek People during World War II

Alex Spanos (Posthumously) among the Honorees at Washington Oxi Day Celebration

In this Oct. 27, 1993, file photo, San Diego Chargers ownerAlex Spanos gestures after the NFL announced that the City ofSan Diego secured the 1988 Super Bowl.

John P. Calamos, Sr., founder, chairman and chief investmentofficer of Calamos Investments will be honored with the JaharisService Award at this year’s Washington Oxi Day Celebration.

AP PHOTO/TIM BOYLE, FILE TNH ARCHIVES

Oxi Day SpecialTHE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019 7

JOHN CATSIMATIDIS, Jr.

We proudly celebrate "OXI DAY"ΖΗΤΩ Η 28η ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΥ 1940

Oxi Day Special8 THE NATIONAL HERALD, OCTOBER 26, 2019