A memorial service different from the others.
There may be still a few alive veterans heroes, veteran officers and sailors of the war and commercial navy, who carry the memory of the biggest day of World War II in 6th of June 1944, known as the: "INVASION OF NORMANDY".
Brief history:
Chronologically we are returning 69 to 70 years back from 1943 to 1944.
The Nazi forces of Hitler and Mussolini were dominating throughout the Mainland Europe except from Eastern (Russian) front.
At the headquarters of British dominated the idea that we should attempt a landing in the Mainland Europe for the transport of forces and materials that had been accumulated on British soil.

Stalin also agrees with the idea of invasion as to reduce the pressure on the Eastern Front.
The Americans however who have gone well in the war are more cautious for their own reasons, especially after the failure of Canada - British in Dieppi on August 1942.
They insist that they must first finish with the front of Africa - Middle East. The main reason though is that they claim the leadership of the Allied Forces as to have the first plea in the postwar new order which eventually happened.
In January 1943 the American commander Eisenhower takes the Leadership and at the Casablanca conference comes forward the idea of landing.
Having studied all the details (coastal morphology of Netherlands - Belgium - France, distances from the site that was gathered the army and supplies, weather, tides, currents, tides etc) it was decided to make a landing in three points of the coast of Normandy. The decision was taken at the conference in Quebec (May 1943) with a possible date in August 1943.
Eventually it started 6th of June 1944. The amount of Allied Forces who participated enormous. This is for another time. Indicatively I tell you that there were gathered on British shores 3, 5 million men and 20 million tons of material. The participation of Greece remarkable, although our army navy was attempting in the front of Mediterranean - Africa - Middle East, in the landing was represented with the corvettes "KRIEZIS" and "TOMBAZIS".
As far as our commercial fleet, the whole power was available to the Allied forces.
Peculiar and highly dangerous mission was undertaken and successfully carried out the cargo ships "St. Spiridon" (5510 tons cargo of cement) of Aignousioti commander Mr. George Halkias and "George P." (9110 tons cargo of cement) of Skiathian ship-owner Mr. Thomas Epifaniadis with volunteer captains and crew. They undertook and accomplished the mission that was given to them with the two truck ships loaded with cement to deliver them at the predetermined points of the Norman coast to form artificial breakwater mechanisms minimizing the waves making it easier for the landing of the ships approaching.
The losses of Allies in manpower (1940 to 1944) were enormous.
The General Eisenhower knew well enough when he personally said goodbye one by one to the men of the first Airborne Division, that few of them would see the light of day the other day.
The paratroopers knew better than anyone else themselves.
Greek merchant shipping had more than 3000 men dead. Many more were the ones that turned crippled with only praise the mental and physical injuries that accompanied them to the rest of their lives.
Question No 1:
Why so many sacrifices so many disasters? In order to defeat 15 to 20 million "bad German soldiers" ?
Certainly not.
The people are a guided mass cheering today:
Osana Osana blessed is he that comes the day after and howling: Aron Aron crucify him.
But to defeat an outright ideology that wiped out and ate the innards of Europe: That of Nazism.
The concepts of GOOD and FAIR had no other purpose than to win even if belatedly.
The invasion of Normandy was nothing else than the price of the delayed revenge of GOOD that defied and let the rise of Nazism in the continent's history and intellect.
Question No 2:
The faces of EVIL defeated the totalitarianism failed at least in the first phase (elimination boarders - states - nations - national consciousness etc).
What happened the ideology that gave birth to him?
Unfortunately 70 years after such ghosts and monsters reappear and began to raise their heads more organized and more insidious now.
"Globalization" or "Global governance" is called now days.
Question No 3:
Why did they choose Greece as a guinea pig for their first application?
Because Greece is the birthplace of Justice and intellect.
Their problem with our ancestors is that:
They don't want to grow old, everyday they are younger than us.
Immortal dead.
Their every thought has as trait/characteristic the truth and evidential logic of ARISTOTELIS, information that to them are obstacles to the realization of their objectives.
You are a big obstacle great PLATON when you declared that:
"The people managing the people's assets should come out glorious and not richer."
Wrong also you did wise SOLON proclaimed in ancient Greek law when you foresaw: "For the leader who would cheat the people and wouldn't have made what they promised the death penalty."
And for the lord that gave the oath saying: "To pay in gold accounted as much as his body weight if he breached his promise".
Think if these applied today how many of these leaders would leave as fast as they can by the fear of death penalty. And if some of them choose to stay they would make sure to be skin and bones to match less gold if needed.
These are known very well by the current rulers.
These have occasionally been written by their patriarchs.
"The intellect that is original to the selvedge that bears the mark of authenticity "ELLINIKON" F. Nietzsche in free translation".
Question No 4:
In the situation we are now is there a solution?
Clearly yes.
We just need to wake up, let our couch (because later on even it won't belong to us) and act driven by the best element of our race the PRIDE, correcting firstly ourselves and assign the ORDER to the BEST and not the WORST/SCOUNDRELS.
Sources:
1) Archives from Ministry of Mercantile Marine Lieutenant Coast Guard Palyvos.
2) Epam. Barbouris: Greek Mercantile Navy during the Second World War "Actions and sacrifices" 1949.
3) Navy Vise admiral D. Fokas: Exposition of the activity of Royal Navy during the war from 1940 to 1944.
4) Vise Admiral Chris Dounis "Wartime".
5) Magazine "THE ECHO OF PESMEN".
6) From articles written available on the internet.
7) Personal narratives of Nick Stai who participated in the mission with the ship "George P." employed as sailor navy.
The president Of Maritime Museum of Litohoro
Nick Vlahopoulos