A memorial was unveiled on Sunday at Gavalohori in Apokoronas, in honour of Captain Christos Moulas, who lost his life together with his co-pilot Second Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis on 25th July last year, when their Canadair CL-215 crashed while firefighting near Karystos on southern Evia.
The unveiling was preceded by a service conducted by Eirinaios, Bishop of Evmeneia and Abbot of the monastery of Gouverneto on Akrotiri, at the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Gavalohori, in memory both of Captain Moulas and of those who fell in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, which began 50 years ago on 20th July 1974. In addition to the deceased’s family, the occasion was attended by the entire village and many others along with local politicians and representatives of the Armed Forces
Representing the Head of General Staff Dimitrios Houpis was Brigadier General Nikolaos Makrygiannakis, director of the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence Centre of Excellence at Souda, while 355 Squadron was represented by its deputy director Colonel Kyriakos Kyprianou.
Unveiling of the memorial
The memorial had been erected in the central square of the village. In a short address, the mayor of Apokoronas Haralambos Koukianakis said: “The pilot of the firefighting aircraft Christos Moulas, an Icarus who first spread his wings in Gavalohori, flew through the heavens fulfilling his dream, to help his fellow humans, to save lives and to protect our earth from the ravages of fire. He gave his life for this cause and took his place in the Pantheon of Heroes with a final flight into eternity. … It is our obligation to preserve his memory and to keep it alive, expressing our gratitude for his service to our country. For us he is Immortal.”
For his part the Deputy Regional Governor for Chania Nikos Kalogeris said: “A year has passed since the whole world saw in live transmission how the modern Greeks Christos Moulas and Periklis Stefanidis, while doing their utmost to control a fire in Karystos and save the environment, property and human lives, travelled into eternity. This event is the least that we could do to honour their memory.”
A greeting was also sent by SYRIZA MP for Chania Pavlos Polakis, who noted that “two young heroes, 34-year-old Captain Christos Moulas, who grew to manhood in this area, and 27-year-old Second Lieutenant Periklis Stefanidis, became one with the heavens and the blue sky of our homeland which they so much loved.”
The two airmen were posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.
(Haniotika Nea 22/07/24)