“Hence we will not say that the Greeks fight like heroes, but that heroes fight like Greeks” PM Winston Churchill on the occasion of the Greek victory against the Axis forces.

This year, our community will once again commemorate the historic anniversary of October 28th with tributes, wreath-laying, speeches and meals.

OXI Day (Ohi Day), also known as the Anniversary of the “No” is a significant national celebrated on October 28th each year commemorating Greece’s refusal to surrender to the Axis Powers during World War II.

On the morning of October 28, Italian forces, under Mussolini’s orders, demanded that Greece allow them to occupy Greek territories but the Greeks responded with a resounding “Ohi” (No and in Greek OXI/’Οχι) to the ultimatum, refusing to surrender Greece. This defiance marked the beginning of Greece’s involvement in World War II and delayed Hitler’s plans to invade Russia by months, and was a turning point in the war.

A national hero of the occasion was Colonel Mordechai Frizis, a Romaniote Greek Jew who succeeded in repelling an Italian attack on the Thyamis River’s bridge, followed by a Greek counterattack.

The Italians countered with aerial bombing, his men dismounted and took cover in trenches but, he continued riding his horse throughout the battlefield shouting “Courage!” to rally his men. He was wounded in the stomach yet continued trying to rally his men, he later died of his injuries. In 2002, his remains were in Albania and transferred to the New Jewish Cemetery of Thessaloniki.

The Greek state has honoured his memory by erecting his busts at the War Museums of Kalpaki and Athens, in his birth town of Chalcis, and by giving his name to an Athens street.

VIC

Saturday October 28 events in Melbourne marking Ohi Day announced by the Hellenic Branch RSL Melbourne Victoria

9.30am, a service will be held at St Eustathios Cathedral located at 221 Dorcas Street, in the suburb of South Melbourne.

12 noon wreath-laying ceremony at the Australian-Hellenic Memorial, located at the corner of Birdwood and Anzac Avenue, Domain Gardens.

1pm, there will be a wreath laying at the Shrine of Remembrance.

A light lunch at the Hellenic Branch headquarters located at 14A Ferrars Place, in the suburb of South Melbourne.

The Panhellenic Association of Australian Retired Reservists is organising a national anniversary celebration on Sunday at the Axion Estin Monastery in Northcote and a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial in the monastery precinct.

The Greek Community Agios Panteleimon in Dandenong will commemorate the national anniversary of 28 October and on 29 October. Parliamentarians, diplomatic authorities and community representatives will gather to honour the great event. The students of the Community school are also preparing an impressive programme dedicated to our great national anniversary.