Greek President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, honoured Greek shipowner and WWII veteran, Iakovos Tsounis, on Wednesday after he willed his entire estate to the Greek armed forces earlier this month.
In a ceremony at the Presidential Mansion, Sakellaropoulou expressed her gratitude to the 97-year-old and awarded him with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour, one of the most prestigious of all Greek honours.
“I honor the patriot who was distinguished for his contribution to the homeland since his adolescence, when at the age of sixteen he enlisted as a volunteer in the Greek army and fought on the Albanian front,” the President said.
READ MORE: Greek WWII veteran gifts €23 million to Hellenic Armed Forces.
Sakellaropoulou also stressed that Mr Tsounis was a “real businessman who did not rest of his laurels” and his intention to bequeath his property to the Hellenic Armed Forces “is a deeply patriotic and exemplary act.”
For his part, Mr Tsounis thanked the President for bestowing the honour on him, while pointing out that his selfless offer to the homeland is a “supreme duty.”
The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of National Defence, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Alkiviadis Stefanis, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Hellenic Armed Forces, General Konstantinos Floros.
Source: thetimes.gr.
