The ceremony for the Monument to the Immortals of the Nation, in which the names of the 121,692 fallen in the Nation’s battles are engraved, was especially moving.
“121,692 names. 121,692 thousand Greeks. 121,692 souls who left forever fighting for Greece on the battlefields, for its protection and greatness”, said the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), General Konstantinos Floros, in his greeting at the ceremony.
On either side of the altar that will burn 24/7 there were soldiers were standing wearing uniforms that have been used by the Greek Armed Forces in the past.
The altar was lit by the Chief of HNDGS, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, Yiannis Kefalogiannis and the Speaker of the Parliament, Konstantinos Tasoulas.
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The ceremony ended with the soldiers, officers and officials singing the National Anthem.
Special features of the Memorial are the altar, on which the eternal flame will burn in memory of the “Immortals”, symbolizing in this way the timeless respect for the Fallen and the unquenchable passion for offering to the Motherland, as well as the Flag mast between the tombstones with the names of the Fallen Heroes.
Equally symbolic is the position in which the Monument is located at the main entrance of the Papagos Camp, so that on the one hand it is the place where the official guests of the political and military leadership pay their respects and on the other hand it is easily accessible because very soon it will be visited by the general public (individuals, schools, institutions, etc.).
