Ioannis Theodossoulakis and the First Councillor D.S./P.M. Brigadier General (D) Konstantinos
Bibizas – Pinis, visited in his home the super-aged (102 years old)
WWII veteran Vice Admiral (I) Konstantinos Hatzilakos, a living legend of the
Air Force, which operated in the Middle East, Italy and the
Yugoslavia with the 336 Squadron of the then NVA, where he was honoured on behalf of the
Board of the War Museum for his contribution to the war, by presenting him, in honour
of his struggles for the freedom of the Homeland, with the Museum copies
of the “Aristideion of the Struggle”, which was awarded by King Otto to the
Fighters of 1821 and which is the emblem of the War Museum.
The whole family of the General was present at the presentation of the mines.
Vice Admiral (I) Konstantinos Hadjilakos was born in Larissa in 1920.
He enlisted in the Icons School in 1940. During World War II (1940-1945) as a
combat pilot of the Royal Greek Air Force, he operated on the battlefields
of North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy, Yugoslavia and the Aegean.
He has over 200 combat missions with aircraft
“Hurricane” and “Spitfire”. For this activity he was awarded 10 war
medals, by Greece and the UK/RAF.
In the period 1945-1967 he was an instructor at military schools of all
three arms of the Armed Forces, as well as commander of large air
Battle Wings and Director of Operations at NATO military bases. In 1964-
1967 he was Defense Attaché at the Greek Embassy in Washington, D.C.
He retired in 1967, loyal to the Constitution, because of his opposition to the
junta of the colonels. He then worked for 9 years as a manager
at Chalyvourgiki and from 1978-1997 he was a technical advisor to
McDonnell Douglas Corporation. Since 2006 he has been the inventor of “TRITON”, the
Greek Wave Energy to Electricity Converter. As a veteran combat
pilot, he is President of the Royal Air Force Veteran Airmen’s Association of the Royal Air Force
Athens Branch (RAFA). He is the author of the book “The
Last Mission”, in which he recounts in a vivid and highly moving
way the struggles of the Greek Airmen in World War II.
It is worth mentioning the answers he gave to journalists two years ago, when he attended the ceremony of integration, in flying condition, of the
“Spitfire” aircraft, with which he fought in WWII, at the
Dhekelia Air Base:
-Mr.Hatzilakos you are an iconic figure of the Greek Air Force
. In World War II, as a pursuit pilot with
“Hurricane” and “Spitfire” aircraft, you carried out over 200 combat missions
on the fronts of North Africa, the Mediterranean, Italy, Yugoslavia and
the Aegean. Tell us how it all began.
-For us young Icarians, it all began with Greece’s “NO” and
continued with the fulfillment of an oath and a debt. A march full of
stress, pain and blood. “Either it was or it was not”. And so it was.
-Who of all your fellow warriors do you most often bring to mind
today?
-Who do you not forget. Especially the one with whom you shared your tent
and in the evening after returning from a mission, you found his ranch
empty.
-What do you have to say to today’s Greek air force pilots
who defend the Aegean every day?
-To have duty and honour in their hearts and to do what
it dictates.
Mr.Hatzilakos you have more than fulfilled your debt to
homeland, in the most adverse conditions. What is our debt today?
-Let us not forget, honor and be vigilant. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_gallery interval=”3″ images=”4469,4457,4459,4461,4463,4465,4467,4471″ img_size=”800×600″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
