Members Pay Their Respects at
Arlington National Cemetery
Supreme
President Manios (left) and retired Col. Vamvakias lay the wreath
at the Tomb of the Unknown
with the assistance of an Honor Guard Specialist.
In the foreground at
attention are (l-r): Honor Guard Specialist, Ahepan
and Navy Veteran Michael
Manios and retired Navy Captain Demo Kolaras.
WASHINGTON-A
proud tradition continued on Memorial Day 2005, when members of the
American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), the largest
and oldest American-based Greek heritage grassroots membership organization,
paid their respects on behalf of the Greek-American
community to those who gave
the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, democracy, and
liberty at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Since
1924 Ahepans have returned
annually to Arlington for this memorial.
Supreme President Franklin R.
Manios, a veteran of the United States
Marine Corps; retired Army
Colonel Nicholas P. Vamvakias, retired Navy Captain
Demosthenes N. Kolaras, and
Michael Manios, also a veteran of the U.S.
Navy, participated in the
wreath laying ceremony. An Honor Guard Specialist
assisted them.
"It is a unique and
powerfully moving experience," said Manios, who during
the ceremony, reflected upon
his fellow Marine Corps servicemen with whom
he served in the mid-1950s.
"It is especially meaningful to perform this
ceremony at this time in our
nation's history when our brave men and women
are in harm's way. This
is one of the greatest honors anyone can perform
and a small way of expressing
our community's gratitude to our fallen
heroes."
440 Gravesites Memorialized
at Arlington
On Sat., May 28, members of
AHEPA Chapter 31, Washington, DC, gathered to
memorialize those identified
as Greek-Americans or Greek Orthodox who are
buried at Arlington National
Cemetery. According to members of the
chapter, there are roughly
440 gravesites at which Ahepans present a bouquet of
artificial flowers and pause
in remembrance of those who perished for our
nation. The chapter has
performed this ceremony annually since 1949.
This year, members from AHEPA
Chapter 438, Arlington, Va. also assisted.
"I commend Chapter 31
for its carefully detailed effort to properly honor
and remember the memory of
those brave souls of our community who
sacrificed so much for
freedom," said Manios.
For more information about
Arlington National Cemetery, please visit
www.arlingtoncemetery.org.
The mission of the AHEPA
family is to promote the ideals of Hellenism,
education, philanthropy,
civic responsibility and family and individual
excellence.
The AHEPA family consists of
four organizations: AHEPA, Daughters of
Penelope, Sons of Pericles
and Maids of Athena.
For more information about
the AHEPA family, or how to join, please
contact
AHEPA Headquarters,
202.232.6300, or visit www.ahepa.org/joinahepa.
For
instant information visit www.ahepa.org.
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