Last Greek hero of Normandy landing dies at age 95
Greece’s last survivor of the World War II Normandy landing, Captain Grigoris Pavlakis, has died. He was 95.
The Crete-born Hellenic Navy officer took part in the biggest allied push against Germany as chief officer of the corvette Kriezis, one of six Greek ships based in Egypt that participated in the campaign.
Over the course of his career, Pavlakis received 15 medals and commendations for bravery and outstanding service, while in 2004 he was awarded France’s Legion of Honor by then president Jacques Chirac.
“Our only hope was the joyful thought that if the operation succeeded, Greece would be freed from the bonds of slavery,” Pavlakis had said of D-Day in an interview with Kathimerini in 2001.
His funeral will take place with full military honors on Wednesday, at 2 p.m., at Athens First Cemetery.
