November is shaping up to be an exciting month. First it is both a privilege and responsibility to vote. November 7th is General Election Day. Please vote and encourage others to vote as well.

Sunday, November 5th, is the testimonial dinner for our distinguished past president, Art Pathe. Pre-eminent guests include the Past Supreme President, Lee Rallis; Supreme Governor, Tassos Chronis; and District Governor Si Chivithes. The event will be held at 1:pm at the UCSD Faculty Club. The cost is $25 per person. (See flyer in this issue).

Our General Session will be held on Tuesday, November 14th at Saints Constsntine and Helen's Senior Center. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. (See meeting agenda, page 2). Our guest speaker is Maria Pantelia who will talk on the computerization of ancient Greek texts and other more modern texts. It should prove to be a most interesting meeting. I look forward to seeing every one.

Fraternally,

Costa Brown

George Polos Chapter 505

Awards Scholarships

By D. A. George

NORTH SAN DIEGO ­ The George Polos Chapter 505 announced its scholarship recipients at the last general meeting held October 3, at the Senior Citizens Center of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Cardiff, California. The Awards total $2,000.00.

George J. Pappas, chairman of the Scholarship Committee announced the names of the recipients of the awards. The worthy students receiving scholarships are: Michael G. Agrimis (a graduate of Rancho Bernardo High School, who will be attending the University of Southern California to major in Computer Engineering and a minor in Multimedia and Creative Technologies); Michelle L. Pekos (a graduating senior at La Jolla High School, who will be attending San Diego State University, majoring in Education.)

The scholarships sponsored by the George Polos Chapter and their Charitable Endowment Fund are presented under two headings which include the Dr. Costas Lyrintzis Scholarship Memorial Fund and the General Chapter Scholarship Fund, which have been presented and awarded yearly by donations and proceeds of their many fundraisers. Costa T. Brown, Chapter President stressed the need to perpetuate and encourage more participants and applicants for future Chapter Scholarships. He also commended the committee chairman and its members for an excellent and timely well evaluated review of its Chapter applicants and recipients.

Presentation ceremonies are scheduled for November 5, 2000, during the Testimonial Dinner Program for Past-President Arthur F. Pathe at the Faculty Club on the campus of UCSD

Best Wishes and CRONIA POLLA to the following Brothers who are celebrating birthdays:

George Moraros 11/3

Mike Pekos 11/5

Peter Ellis 11/10

Jim Mellos III 11/14

George Anagnostopoulos 11/22

Ari Theofilopoulos 11/23

John Grevas 11/29

Happy Anniversary!!! to the following Brothers and their lovely brides who are celebrating wedding anniversaries:

Skipper & Elain Woodham 11/1

John & Liza Ronis 11/7

Charley & Gina Kakos 11/11

Johnny & Arlene Generales 11/12

Yiannos & Christina Frangos 11/21

Mike & Kathryn Manos 11/22

Alex & Jeanette Rigopoulos 11/23

Meeting Agenda - The following is the meeting agenda for the next Social/General Chapter Meeting, being held at SS. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church's Senior Citizen Center, Tuesday, November 14, 2000:

Program Presentation

Foundation Committee Report

Christmas Party Committee Report

Greek Independence Day Committee Report

Old Business

New Business

Good of the Order

General Business Meetings - General Business Meetings are held every third Thursday of the month. The next meeting will be Thursday, November 16, 2000, at SS. Constantine and Helen Senior Citizen Center at 7:00 p.m. All Officers and appointed officers are expected to attend. Any interested members may attend. Come and see your administrative board at work planning and coordinating for better functions and best events for the membership.

Costas Lyrintzis Memorial Scholarship Fund -

Brothers, we of the Hellenic Community of San Diego must keep Costas' memory alive, and we can do this by instituting a memorial scholarship in Costas' name. Please send your tax deductible contributions, in any amount to: Order of AHEPA, c/o George Polos Chapter 505, P.O. Box 2682, Del Mar, CA 92014.

We need TA NEA Advertisers! - This newsletter is budgeted to be funded and made possible by those that place advertisements into the publication. We have run some issues without Ads and we must not allow this to continue to happen! If we wish to continue this publication we must encourage more advertiser submissions.

Ad space rates are: one full page (8 1/2" by 11") $125 per issue, half page (5 1/2" by 8 1/2") $75 per issue and $25 for business card ads per issue. Please contact Brother D. A. George to place your next ad. All necessary art work will be created for you and as always, readers, please patronize our advertisers. Thank you.

Please Notify Us - Should you know of any Brother recovering from illness or surgery, or known to be hospitalized, please notify Brother Alex L. Rigopoulos at (619) 233-7158 or (619) 469-9239.

Newsletter Entries - Please direct all newsletter announcements for "TA NEA" to the editor: Brother D. A. George, (858) 273-2868, FAX (858) 273-0416 or e-mail: dageo@worldnet.att.net. All entries must be received by the 20th of each month.

A little girl became restless as the preacher's sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?"

One of my favorite poets - and I have taught his verse for three decades - is Wallace Stevens. I have read his poems and criticism and several analyses or his intricate, eloquent poetry, but only recently I came across his complete correspondence. There,in a letter to Elsie Moll, dated April 9, 1907, he says the following: "The Impression of Greece is one of the purest things in the world. It is not a thing, however, that you get from any hook, but from fragments of poetry that have been preserved and from statues and ruins, and a thousand things, all building up in the mind a noble conception of a pagan world under a blue sky, still standing erect in remote sunshine."

After attempts by some biographers to bring Schliemann down from his proverbial pedestal, it is now the turn for

Sir Arthur Evans (the archeologist who founded Knossos) to receive a similar treatment. Entitled Minotaur: Sir Arthur Evans and the Archeology of the Minoan Myth (Hill & Wing, 373 pages, $30), the book by Joseph Alexander MacGillivray (who is himself a seasoned excavator now at work at Palaiokastro - a site of a Minoan town in eastern Crete) probes into the life and work of Evans with scalpel and hammer. MacGillivray describes Evans as "nearsighted, fiercely racist and of a volcanic temper." He debunks several of Evans' assertions and claims that, in fact, Evans was a mediocre archeologist who relied mostly on his skilled, hard-drinking assistant, Duncan McKenzie, to manage the Cretan workmen and to organize the location and time of the excavations. MacGillivray also talks of Evans' homosexual scandals, one of which involved a 72-year-old Evans violating "public decency" with a 17-year-old boy. The author also writes of Evans' professional jealousy and hostility against up-and coming young archeologists, and of some wild assertions by Evans intended to give him fame and glory.

As a young teenager, I remember seeing Rena Dalia sing in Chicago's "Acropolis" nightclub in 1962 and 1963. Yannis Papaioannou, who "discovered" her, clutched the bouzouki from which emanated those vibrant chords that harmonized with her robust female voice. Now, I read that Dalia (born Eleftheria Papakosta) died in her sleep at the age of 66. She was closely associated with Papaioannou, but she also collaborated with Vasilis Tsitsanis and Stelios Kazantzidis. For more than ten years, in the 60s, she sang in the top Greek nightclubs of New York and Chicago. Her voice was silenced on August 28th in Athens.

A letter to the Editor in "Athens News" caught my attention and it may interest others as well. Here it is: "I'm an American who was married to a greek man. We came back in May because he had cancer and wanted to die in his country. He died August 22, and the mayor of Rafina did not give us a place in the cemetery to bury him because he lived here for only three months, and his daughter had lived here for only one-and-a-half years in Kalitechnoupoli. I think that the Greeks who come back to their country are not treated well, and I hope nobody has to go through this experience like I did. I love Greece, yet I win be going back to America next month. - C. Maxouris, Rafina."

The Turkish daily Turkiye quotes Turkey"s Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, who attended the U.N. Millenium Summit with his President Alimet Necdel Sezer, as responding to a question about Greco-Turkish relations as follows: "Turks and Greeks are two nations that love each other. And I believe that if we politicians did not exist, the citizens of the two nations would become closer and friendlier and the differences between the two countries would be solved." It is a sentiment I heard repeatedly in my visit to both countries.

A milestone of sorts is reported about a Greek cement company, Titan Cement, which allegedly will purchase the U.S. firm Tarmac America for a reported $636 million. This becomes the largest ever investment by a Greek firm in the United States. In turn, the U.S. giant Vulcan Materials has agreed to purchase $230 million of Tarmac assets after the deal is complete.

Speaking about his pretty fiance, actress Bridgette Wilson, in the September issue of "In Style," Pete Sampras said: "One thing I love about Bridgette is that she is very attractive, but she doesn't walk around like she is. You see arrogance all the time, especially in L.A., and she is just very humble. I am looking forward to being home with the kids when she is out working. We joke that I'll be Mr, Mom."

Aiming to heal old wounds and to embrace all of Hellenism, Patriarch Bartholomew visited a village in Hungary named for Nikos Beloyannis. The village was built by leftist Greek political prisoners who fled Greece after the Civil War in the late 40s and early 50s. Accompanying the prelate was foreign undersecretary Angeliki Laiou. The residents of "Nikos Beloyannis" received their guests warmly, and welcomed the fact, as the Metropolitan of Hungary Michael phrased it in his speech, that "out of the debris and the graves of the past, carnations will now bloom."

Polygnotus was, arguably, the most celebrated painter of Greece's Golden Age. Though none of his works survive, we have the praise of many ancient scribes attesting to his genius and talent. For example, his mural paintings in the Stoa of Athens and in the "lesche" (clubhouse) at Delphi which depicted the sack of Troy and scenes of the Underworld are described admiringly and in detail by Pausanias. Fast-forward 2500 years later, and we now have Alekos Fasianos, arguably the most celebrated living Greek painter, who has long been fascinated by Polygnotus, and we have a news report from Thasos, the ancient painter's birthplace. Fasianos, aiming to honor his colleague and idol, organized an exhibit of his own works, with tours, manuscripts and speakers - all in homage to Polygnotus. The

affair has been entitled "Fasianos to Polygnotus." It is the first tribute, to my knowledge, by a modern painter for an ancient.

His name is Konstantin Kakanlas. He is a nice-looking, fairly tall 38 year old artist born in Athens, who has lived in France and Egypt, studied fashion and fine art in Paris, worked for prominent designers and various art magazines, moved to New York in 1988, and lives in Los Angeles for the last three years. Until October 21, the gallery called Works on Paper, Inc. will exhibit his works entitled "Her Hollywood Years, Part 1." with Kakanias's alter-ego Mrs. Tependris as the centerpiece. Mrs. Tependris, who was invented in 1993 by Kakanias in hundreds of works, has so far travelled with him to much of the world, displaying a score of emotions and identities and personifying the atmosphere of the city that Kakanias is visiting. Kakanias has a home in Paros and his parents live in Athens.

If you happen to visit San Diego between now and October 18 do not forget to buy tickets far a wonderful production of Euripides' tragedy Trojan Women. The anti-war play sizzles with dramatic scenes and vivid characters that powerfully convey Euripides' insights and his bold indictment of man's inhumanity to man. The play is presented in a sparkling new translation by Prof. Marianne McDonald, a professor of theatre at UCSD, who is also a philhellene and a long time philantropist.

From mid-March to the end of August this year, 30 people were arrested and charged with arson in Greece. Of the 30, some 17 have been charged with deliberate intent, the other 13 were charged with criminal negligence.

Istanbul's Hurriyet ran a cover story with this title, "A Greek Judge Burned Erbakan." The Greek in question is Judge Christos Rozakis who serves in the European Court of Human Rights, and the Erbakan reference is to the Islamic leader in Turkey who appealed his one-year jail conviction by a Turkish court and was rejected. "Hurriyet" identifies Rozakis as a former substitute foreign minister who, during the Imia incident, came in conflict with then-Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, and resigned, because he was proposing negotiations with Turkey.

(Re-printed by permission of THE GREEKAMERICAN)

Dear Sisters,

Our next meeting will be held Tuesday, November 7th at Vangie Sharpe's home. This meeting will a very important meeting concerning a few of our important duties and planning for the remainder of the year. We encourage that all of the elected officers be in attendance to complete our most important attributes in our agenda.

For those who have a change of status or changes in their household, please let us know so that we are able to correct our mailing lists and member documentation.

You are reminded to bring current your membership dues, this determines our voting strength at our next convention.

Yours in Theta Pi,

Joanne Pathe

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Vissino

(Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet)

5 lbs. sour cherries

3 lbs. sugar

5 cups water

1/4 cup fresh strained lemon juice

Wash cherries very well and using a cherry pitter or a sewing needle, push out the pits.

In a large basin or bowl, arrange the cherries and sugar in alternate layers. Sprinkle with the water, cover, and refrigerate for about 12 hours.

The next day, pour the contents of the bowl into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the lemon-juice and simmer, skimming the foam off the top of the pot frequently, until the mixture is thick and at the large thread stage on a candy thermometer (about 230^o F). This will take 30 to 35 minutes over medium heat. Remove pot from heat, cool, and store in sterilized, airtight jars. Serve the vissino as a spoon sweet, or use it as a topping on cheesecakes and ice cream. It is also excellent with thick strained yogurt.

You might ask yourself why have we decided to write about "OXI" Day. One of our goals is to educate Greek-American youth.

Another reason is that many people from Greece are confused or have forgotten that this historical event covers only the period of 1940 and 1941. This time in history involves Italy and Greece during World War II. We hope that you find this short history informative.

In 1928, a Treaty of Friendship, Conciliation and Judicial Settlement had been signed between Greece and Italy. There were hopes for a lasting peace in the Balkans. In February 1934 the concern for collective security resulted in

the signing of the Balkan Entente between Greece, Romania, Yugoslavia and Turkey. Its purpose was to guarantee the security of existing frontiers in the area. It represented in effect a defensive alliance against Bulgaria. But, since Bulgaria could hardly attack its neighbors without the assistance of an outside aggressor, that eventually had also to be covered by the terms of the alliance. This entente was very weak from the onset. In Greece, the Populist government of Tsaldaris, pressed by the personal opposition of both Venizelos and Metaxas, had to ask the treaty partners for an understanding that Greece would not be automatically bound to enter a struggle involving her in war with a great power. In this instance, the fear was that Greece might be obliged to fight Italy to protect the frontiers of Yugoslavia. Such were the international obligations and policies which John Metaxas inherited when he became Prime Minister. By 1939, Greece welcomed the negotiations between Turkey, France and Great Britain which formalized in a tripartite signed in October 1939, which indirectly included Greece through French and British guarantees. Greece made repeated public protests of her peaceful intentions towards Italy, Prime Minister Metaxas' political alignment was truly with the Western Alliance even though her commercial dependence was with Germany for her exported produce in exchange for German manufactured goods and armaments. The British complained, but they could not guarantee to buy the quantities of Greek tobacco offered to them. Politically, since it was clear that Bulgaria's revisionist ambitions would sooner or later draw Bulgaria into war on the side of the Axis, there was little safety for Greece.

As the war approached, Prime Minister Metaxas found it difficult to balance its relations with the powers. After the occupation of Albania, April 7, 1939, France and Britain had given Greece and Romania guarantees of their territorial integrity. This was a cause of frequent complaints by the Italians to the Greeks in the summer of 1939. Another complaint was that the Greek Prime Minister would not renew the 1928 peace treaty.

Now Italy was beginning to harass Greece. There had been one provocation after another on the part of Italy for which Rome had systematically blamed the Greeks. Prime Minister Metaxas had kept silent and calm and avoided any official notice of the provocations in the vain hope of preventing a final clash. The most significant provocation was the sinking of the Greek cruiser Helle by a submarine off the island of Tinos on the morning of August 15, 1940, when all the pilgrims came to the island. Recovered fragments of the torpedo casing bore Italian markings. Even with this evidence, the Prime Minister refused to respond. Meanwhile, Greece was not unaware of the pending war. In May Metaxas called up certain extra categories of men to the front. On June 4, 1940 Metaxas made a speech warning his people of the danger of war. In September 1940, Metaxas ordered mobilization of the army to take place, while trying to maintain forms of neutrality. Privately he appealed to Hitler to restrain his ally Mussolini. At this time Hitler also didn't want to start a war in the Balkans. But Germany considered Greece to be an ally of Great Britain. Europe was falling to the Nazis and only Great Britain fought on. Great Britain had pledged to support Greece should it be threatened when Italy annexed Albania.

Mussolini chose to disregard Hitler's orders. October 15, 1940 he held a high level meeting where he stated he would start to initiate action against Greece. The first action was to capture the Ionian Islands, and the port of Thessaloniki. He had 70,000 men ready to act against 30,000 Greek soldiers. But one detail needed to be decided upon, the reason, the pretext for the aggression. Mussolini declared he would,create an incident. He needed to show Hitler that Italy was a powerful nation. Greece seemed to be an easy target. What would be the incident which would be the incident which would serve as an excuse for the aggression? The main accusation would be that the Greeks kept their harbors at the disposal of the British with whom the Italians were already at war. The date fixed for the attack was the 28th of October. Count Galeazzo Ciano would draw up an ultimatum which Count Grazzi, the Italian Ambassador to Greece, would hand deliver to Prime Minister Metaxas. Naturally it would be a document that would allow no way out for Greece. Either Greece would accept occupation or she would be attacked.

Count Emmanuel Grazzi, usually a courteous and talkative person, with almost a permanent smile on his face, drove in his black limousine to the summer residence of Prime Minister John Metaxas. It was 3:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28, 1940, hardly a proper time for a diplomatic call, nless something of extreme urgency was happening or was about to occur. Europe was already in flames and now it was to be Greece's turn. Ambassador Grazzi acting on strict orders from Rome, was supposed to reach Metaxas' home at a particular hour. Timing was of the essence for what the Italians had been carefully and secretly planning. The previous night Count Grazzi had given a fancy reception at the Italian Embassy to honor Greek-Italian friendship. No detail had been overlooked that would make the Greeks suspicious about Italy's true intentions. Ambassador Grazzi was to present Greece with an unacceptable ultimatum that was in effect equal to a declaration of war.

Prime Minister Metaxas lived in Kiphisia, a lovely residential part of Athens. He was a short, sturdy man, 66

years of age, whose health was gradually failing. He ruled Greece as a dictator, convincing King George II that the only effective way to face the mounting activities of the Communists in Greece, was to abolish the Constitution and establish a dictatorship. It was still dark when Ambassador Grazzi rang the bell. Grazzi was led to the Prime Minister's study where he was shown a seat. He took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to the Prime Minister, who read the ultimatum: "The Italian Government as a guarantee of Greece's neutrality, and the security of Italy has the right to occupy with her armed forces, and for the duration of the war with Great Britain, a number of strategic points on Greek territory. The Italian Government demands that the Hellenic Government shall not oppose any resistance to this occupation. Should the Italian forces meet with resistance, the resistance will be crushed by the force of arms, and in that case, the Hellenic Government will bear the responsibility for whatever may ensue." When Metaxas finished reading the ultimatum, Count Grazzi said, "Of course, if you order your troops to let our forces to enter freely, then ..." He was interrupted, "There is no need for you to continue," Metaxas said, "for one thing, I will never issue such an order, and for another, your ultimatum is expiring within the hour. . . . There is no time ... I am only saying this to let you know I am fully aware of what all this means . . your communication is a declaration of war," Count Grazzi lied once more, "No, your Excellency, it is an ultimatum." Metaxas replied, "Mr. Ambassador, I could not make a decision to sell my own house on a few hour's notice. How do you expect me to sell my country?" When Metaxas asked what the strategic points were in the ultimatum, Grazzi answered "I don't know. All I know is that the ultimatum expires at 6:00 a.m. this morning. Metaxas in a clear steady voice said, "NO," (OXI). This simple single word became overnight a symbol of courage, a slogan that inspired the nation in the struggle against Fascist Italy. Count Grazzi attempted a last effort to stress that Greece violated her neutrality by siding with Great Britain. Words were no longer important, Italy had already fired her first shots at 5:30 a.m. on the Greek-Albanian border. As soon as Grazzi left, only the Prime Minister knew Greece was at war. He phoned and woke up King George II, the Supreme Commander of the Army General Papagos and most of his ministers. Orders were issued and the rest was left up to fate.

The first day of the war, the Hellenes woke up to the sound of sirens and church bells, Their radios played the National Anthem. There was an official statement from the government: "Italy has declared war. The Italian Ambassador having awakened the Prime Minister at 3:00 a.m. this morning, delivered an infamous ultimatum. The Prime Minister rejected it. Hostilities began at 5:30 a.m. The frontier troops are defending our freedom."

Special editions of newspapers were on the street. General mobilization orders were posted on the walls of the buildings. Everyone was in the streets of Athens marching carrying Greek and British flags, even American flags. The people were shouting "OXI." People lined up to join the army. The entire first day was spent in demonstrations. The people of Athens voiced their support and bitter contempt for the enemy. Not even the first Italian planes appearing above the city dispersed the crowds. Nobody thought of going into shelters.

Yet, on this same morning Italian planes bombed the port of Patras killing more than 100 people who didn't even know they were at war with Italy. Also on this first morning of the war, Mussolini suffered his first humiliating defeat, and more were to follow.

Greece with its poor resources could only manage to equip and train a small army intended for defensive purposes. In the Epirotic sector where they had to face the Italian invasion, the local men met the challenge with limited war preparedness. Patriotic Epirotans by themselves, with scant outside help, worked a miracle. Epirotan volunteers under the guidance of Col. Panayiotis Mavroyiannis, an outstanding artillery man, built fortifications along the border to make the historic Kalpakis' narrow passage impregnable. The army headquarters sent Major G. Grivas to Yanina, to advise the Epirotan army commander General Haralambos Katsimitros about their plans in case of an Italian attack. The orders were: mobilization of the youth of Epirus; if attacked the Epirus army was to withdraw its units for a two fold purpose, part of the army was to occupy Zygos passage near Metsovo and block the eastern advance of the Italians towards Thessaly and the other half of the army was to withdraw east of Arta and block the passages of the Omacrinorosu Mountain in order to stop the Italian advance towards Acarnania and capture it; any deviation from these orders of the general staff was left to the commanders of the Epirus army, their discretion and judgment. Gen. Katsimitros had a hard choice to make, following orders or his own conscience, as Greece's destiny was up to his decision. He decided to follow his instincts and decided to fight at the Kalpaki pass. He foresaw Italy's plans which were to capture loannina, Epirus' capital. To do this, the Italian army had to go through the Kalpaki pass. This pass was suitable to be defended with small forces. He had just two infantry regiments under his command. The Italians had two well equipped and armed divisions supported by air power and countless artillery units. When October 28, 1941 arrived at 5:30 a.m., the Italian army attacked the Greek border soldiers who retreated, according to plans to positions along the Kalpaki pass. In less than 24 hours, the Italian army appeared before the Greek line at Kalpaki. The Italians, despite fierce assaults for four days, failed to break the Greek line. On November 2, the fifth day, an Italian infantry battalion managed to climb the Grambala, a steep mountain 4,000 feet high. They reached the top and occupied it. This barren mountain to the right of Kalpaki was not fortified and was left unprotected by the Greeks. It was a great chance for the Italians to outflank the entire Greek army, but they could not get additional troops so they could cut off the Greek army's only road of escape to Ioannina and Metsovo. Gen Katsimitros acted quickly. On November 3 he ordered a battalion under Lt. Col. Kyriazis and Major K. Pantazis, to rush to Grambala's mountain top. The Greek army was only armed with bayonets and rifles. A fight ensued and the Greeks dislodged the Italians, and they were never to return again to this area. The Greek line was restored. The failure of the Italian army brought them frustration and defeat. The next few days were quiet with only artillery activity. The Italians suffered defeat in their campaign through the Pindus Mountains, which ended in retreat and disgrace. Here the Italians had their best military unit, Mussolini's pride and joy, the Alpine Division of "Julia" pushing through the Pindus. The target was the town of Metsovo. If they met their objective, the Epirotan army had to surrender and the Italians had easy access to Thessaly. On the fourth day of the war, "Julia" reached the village of Vovousa (three hours walking distance west of Metsovo). The Pindus sector was left defenseless with a battalion under Col, K. Davakis. When attacked, this small Greek unit retreated. The Commanding General in the neighboring Macedonian front rushed two outstanding units to the Pindus sector to halt "Julia" before it could attack Metsovo. These units were a brigade under Col. Socrates Demaratos (an Epirotan who knew the area) and Gen. Vasilios Vrahnos. They unleashed along the Pindus front, a relentless counterattack which drove the Italians back. At this sector of the war in the Pindus mountains, an unprecedented phenomenon in modern military annals occurred-active participation of the local population, especially the women of this mountainous area. They are known as the "Women of Pindus." These women knew the mountains so they acted as guides, carried ammunition, disassembled canons, food, rifles, wounded and anything else on their shoulders and they helped build roads and kept them clear.

By the second week of November, it was evident that the Italians could not advance further. They remained idle and waited for help to come. Meanwhile, Greece's mobilization was executed perfectly. All military units advanced to the front triumphantly. The Greek army was now well organized and equipped, they had high morale and Greek national support. Now they advanced inside Albanian soil. The first few days of the war the Italians scored only a few minor victories.

Hitler knew the Italian invasion was an error. He started to plan his attack on Greece.

Greek forces began to take the initiative on November 8. By November 13 the Greeks had fought their way back to the border, liberating Greek territory occupied by Italians. November 14, the Greeks launched their first major attack. The objective was Koritsa in southeastern Albania. On November 22 the Greeks captured Koritsa.

Now they tuned their attack to the coastal sector where supplies could be brought in by sea. On December 4 the Greeks captured the town of Pogradec in Albania. They forced the enemy to withdraw into Albania along the entire front, capturing Agia Saranda on December 6 and Argyrokastro on December 8. But they could not get to Valona. Things were getting worse for the Italians and they were retreating in Albania.

It was a very cold winter and conditions in the mountains were rough. Soldiers suffered not only from the war, but from the winter conditions. Frostbite was the main culprit. The soldiers not knowing any better, held their frozen hands and feet close to the fires they lit at night. Momentary relief led to gangrene. Thousands of Greek soldiers had arms, feet and legs amputated.

Now the Italians had to cover a front of 156 miles. General Cavallero, had 16 divisions, some in bad shape and most poorly supplied on account of Albania's virtually non existent communication. 'The opposing Greek forces who had been on the offensive since November 14, had lost many men and had only 13 divisions. Until such time as they could make up their strength and repair communication, Gen. Papagos decided to abandon temporarily any idea of an all out attack and he restricted himself to limited objective offenses. It was during one of these operations that the Greek II corps captured the crossroads at Klisoura on January 9, 1941. In a heavy snowstorm, they inflicted a severe defeat on the 'Wolves of Tuscany" division which had been force-marched to its objective. General Papagos grouped his I and II corps together under General Drakos, as the "Army of Epirus," but this group was defeated at Tepelene in February. Not that the Greek troops lacked keenness or endurance; it was they simply had no tanks and very few antitank guns. Therefore, the Greeks had to fight in the mountains, not the plains. This increased the fatigue of the men and beasts of burden, delayed convoys and supplies. The Italians were able to fall back rapidly to the plains and take up new positions. Taking advantage of the terrain, the Italians were able to hold up the Greeks' advance with a relatively small number of men.

Also, the fresh troops which the Italians had brought up during this phase of the war came to the front in trucks, whereas the Greeks had to move on foot, reaching the front tired and frequently too late to be of any use. Another factor was the Italian air force which attacked both the forward and rear areas of the Greek army.

From December 29, 1940 to March 26, 1941, no fewer than ten divisions, four machine gun battalions, together with three legions and 17 battalions of "Black Shirts" crossed the Adriatic Sea from Italy. When Spring came, the Italian land forces in Albania were strong. The Italian navy controlled the Adriatic. The Greeks on the other hand, had only 13-14 divisions, all of them suffering from battle fatigue. But, despite this, in early March the Greeks arrived at the town of Berati.

On March 9, 1941, watched by Mussolini, the Italian Ninth Army began attacking the sector between the Apsos River in the northeastern and the Aoos (Vyose) River in the southwest. The area is dominated by the Trebesina Mountains. General Geloso put in his IV, VIII

XXV Corps comprising of 11 infantry divisions, and the Centauro Armored Division. The Greeks had three divisions and the equivalent of the fourth, all from the II Corps under General Papadopoulos. At dawn the Greek positions were heavily shelled and bombed. From their observation point at 0830 Mussolini and General Cavallero, could see the infantry moving up to their objectives. The Trebesina offensive did not restore Duce's prestige. Not because the Greek defenders equalled the Italian attack force in strength, but because the Greeks were well organized and their morale was high. The Greek artillery was powerfully deployed. They used positions of strength which enabled them to contain the offensive and counterattack immediately and vigorously. Forty-eight hours later, not only had there not been the expected breakthrough by the Italians, but losses were mounting. The 11th Alpine Regiment alone reported 356 killed and wounded including 36 officers. Mussolini did not give up. He believed that by the end of the month he needed a military victory for the prestige of the Italian army. The Italians drove on, but attacks were not with counterattacks by the Greeks. General Papagos added two more divisions into the attack. The Italian army was kept at a standstill. Finally Mussolini called off the attack.

The Italians had 12,000 dead and wounded. Mussolini failed to break the Greek line. The Greeks suffered enormously and this defensive success, however honorable for the Greek army, left them with only 14 divisions against 27 Italian divisions.

Meanwhile, on January 29, 1941, Prime Minister Metaxas who had forged the victories in Epirus and Albania, died suddenly in Athens. King George nominated Petros Koryzis as his successor. Events soon brought tragic proof that the new Prime Minister could not match his predecessor. Yet, Koryzis was no less resolved to oppose with force the German's aggressive intentions in Romania. On February 21, 1941, Anthony Eden cabled Prime Minister Churchill to tell him that with the British Commanders in Chief, they agreed to help Greece. April 6, 1941 the Germans invaded Greece. On April 18, 1941, Koryzis committed suicide and Tsouderos was made Prime Minister. In a few days the Germany army outflanked the heroic Greeks fighting the Italians in Albania. The Leibstandarte reached and swept through Grevena, took Metsovo and on April 21 captured Ioannina in the rear of the Greeks. The Greek army had no choice but to retreat. On April 20 in Larisa, despite specific orders to fight on, General Tsolakoglou surrendered the forces on the Epirus front. Mussolini signed the surrender at Thessaloniki on April 24. Thus, Mussolini came to triumph over the Greeks who he could not conquer! General Tsolakglou was rewarded for his treason by the "honor" of becoming the first Prime Minister of "occupied" Greece. Hitler honored the gallant Greek army by not making them prisoners of war; instead he let the Greeks retreat and go home. By May 25, 1941 Greece capitulated and the heroic war ended.

The legacy of Greece's unexpected resistance to the Italians was the confirmation of the personal sacrifice and natural virtues which some had begun to doubt about the Greeks. National honor for Greeks, a crucial quality, had been reestablished. The victory in Albania was due to the courage and endurance of the valiant Greek soldiers.

In June 1997 there was an interesting article in the Northern Epirotan newspaper "2000" written by Mr. George Nikas, First Superior Officer of Argyrakastro titled "The Italian Greek War is not Finished."

The memory of the Greek soldier who fought so heroically against the Italian fascists is kept alive by the people of Northern Epiros. 13,000 soldiers were killed on the battlefields and more than 11,000 died from the extreme cold. Each year these soldiers are remembered and honored for giving their lives for their country and freedom.

In the article Mr. Nikas states that the bones of the dead are scattered all over southern Albania, in the mountains and in the plains. In certain areas Albanian nationalists had destroyed the small cemeteries for construction purposes. Yet the ethnic Greek villagers tried to salvage the bones of the dead which are now found in a few small cemeteries. The Italians went to Albania and they retrieved their war dead and honored them. Mr. Nikas says, "what is the Greek nation waiting for? They have never gone back to retrieve their dead, therefore the Italian-Greek war is not yet finished!"

Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had different color hair than the other family members. One child suggested that he was adopted and a little girl said "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted."

"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child.

"It means," said the girl, 'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."

Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in my life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart in being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what Mom?" he shouted and then said these words that will remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."

George Polos AHEPA Chapter 505

invites you to attend a

Testimonial Dinner

honoring

Arthur F. Pathe

Immediate Past President of Chapter 505

Sunday, November 5, 2000

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. reception

followed by Testimonial Dinner & Program

U.C.S.D. Faculty Club

La Jolla, California

R.S.V.P. by November 2, 2000

Dinner $25 per person

send check to:

AHEPA Chapter 505

P.O. Box 2682

Del Mar, California 92014

Honored guests are:

Past Supreme President, Lee Rallis;

Supreme Governor,Tasso Chronis;

and District Governor, Si Chivithes

Information and Reservations

George Karetas, (858) 621-5151

Alex Rigopoulos, (619) 233-7158

Costa Brown, (760) 598-5120