John Nikolakakis, president of the Pancretan Association of Melbourne, is currently in Chania attending many of the commemorations organised by the Chania Prefecture.
“No matter where we are, if we are to be proud Cretans we must be proud and respectful of those who contributed in defending our ancestors’ freedom,” he said.
As the official commemorations began on the island, Mr Nikolakakis attended – amongst other Battle of Crete events – a wreath-laying ceremony in memory of Sergeant Ioannis Lazopoulos in the village of Kouloukouthiana.
Sergeant Lazopoulos was killed defending his village in the Voukolies area near Maleme while deterring enemy fire by facing them head on – just one of the thousands of individual acts of heroism that marked the brutal battle for Crete in May 1941.