Slogans and memorabilia of the Special Forces – Article by Ilias Kasidiaris
“And our dream is
to go to Polis
to raise the Flag
to sing the Hymn”
I heard this slogan for the first time yesterday from the television. It’s obviously new, it does not belong to the “traditional repertory” of the Special Forces. I remembered a similar song that we used to sing when we did our military service and it was like this:
“On the dome of Agia-Sofia
I will climb to take out
the Turkish crescent
and to put on the Cross.
and then only God
will illuminate Polis
and the Greek Hymn
everywhere will resonate”
I liked most the new slogan of the UDT. It is more direct and more lyrical. It encloses the Great Idea into four words. Dream, Polis, Flag and Hymn. But it is also influenced by the spirit of the time, which condemns the extremities (even the verbal) and does not want “blood and hate” in the military songs.
Listening to the related reportages I was expecting something much more brutal. The trembling voice of Tremi had predisposed me for slaughtering, cut body parts, dead Turks and so on. This is the usual content of the slogans of the Special Forces. A few years ago there was uproar because a video was uploaded on Youtube with a snapshot of a march where some “weird guys” (most of them were under 20 years old) singing the following lyrics:
“Do you see them?
They are Albanians
Our clothes will make
With the skins from them”
The same slogan has many variations with the Albanians to give their place to Skopjans, Ottomans etc. from whom are made boots and other essential items. A little later, some other “criminals” (frogmen of HCG) were caught by the camera saying the following “racists imperialist and full of animosity lyrics”:
“You are born Greek
you never become
your blood will spill
Albanian pig”
This case was given monstrous extensions, there were made trials again and again, some Officers were torn and I think that the suffering for the “criminals” of the fatal Section continues until today. But, the over-displaying of the relevant pictures made the slogan known to the general public. Today even the kids in school say it, when there are troubles between Greek and Albanian students.
Last August, popped online another “shocking video” with a Department of Advance Training of Rookies of the 35th Commando Squadron in a…“unprecedented outburst of intolerance and fanaticism”. United the progressive people furiously gave an answer to the fascist challenge. Papadimoulis unleashed vehement fire via twitter and the Spartacus network condemned the Special Forces as “institution of the bourgeoisie”. Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to watch this video from the prison. But I saw an indicative picture from a relevant publication that was enough to recall the old time and create in my mind the entire happening:
The snapshot comes from Stavrovouni, in the courtyard of a Company and the “new” are in the usual miserable state tottering sweaty. With loud voice they are trying (unsuccessfully) to convince themselves that they have steely will power. The “old” with the green berets are completely loose, one of them is wearing only the undershirt (without tunicle) and another is of 800 kilos. The lyrics drip so much blood that they dye the soil red and the boots sink into the mud. Although the publication avoids their full reproduction, I immediately remembered them:
“Morale?
Blood! (three times)
…
And what blood?
Turkish!
And what blood?
Albanian!
And what blood?
Skopjans!
…
Blood to be from whoever
M-16 to hit
widows and orphanage to cry
and their house to burn”
The end of the song may sound a little splutter, but the concept is stolen from the immortal traditional Cretan song (rizitiko) “When it makes clear sky” which among other says:
“To have mothers without sons
women without husbands
to have babies
crying without mothers”
The Cretan protagonist of the rizitiko, who is looking forward to get the rifle and do commando raid on Omalos, is the ancestor of the Commando of A’ Commando Squadron that in 1974 marched from Maleme of Chania to the island of Cyprus and crushed Attila, with the same war song on the lips. It is noteworthy and deserves further psychiatric investigation the fact that the leftists have turned this…”monument of intolerance, genocide and war crimes” in the official hymn of their party events without exception (at the same time they seem to be disturbed by the slogans of Commando). Obviously they have not yet overcome the nervous breakdown they suffered during the period ’46-’49 by the newly established Greek Special Forces Commandos that with their unorthodox actions devastated the communist gangs in Peloponnese, Grammos and Vitsi. But let’s return to the essence of our text.
The war songs and slogans of the Special Forces have just one single purpose to perform, and so they are associated only with special circumstances, such as:
- To march for 50 kilometers all uphill on the crag with full combat load
- To disembark on the reefs of the eastern Aegean shooting with real ammunition
- To descend with fast-rope from a helicopter that hovers in the night
- To do static strap jump from a C-130 and fall overboard
We are talking about weird situations, which for many people have no sense. How can you explain to Tremi, Katrivanou and all dames of politics and journalism, what exactly are the Frogmen, the Commandos, the Parachutists and the Marines. What exactly have in mind the men with shaved heads and grim looks that parade with the bottles on the back in Panepistimiou Street. Certainly they are about special cases with which something is wrong. If they had good mental health they would not run at the dawn on the mountains, on the borders and islets. They would prefer to subscribe in DAP, PASP and the youth of SYRIZA. They would have been incorporated in a party political youth and would have no problem. They would do exactly what their political leaders did: Samaras served for three months in the Navy and was dismissed after a photographic law of the Right. Venizelos was considered I-3 due to obesity (at least he did not use any political plug, he shirked on his value). Kammenos discovered a Military Aviation Unit nearby his house in Kavouri Attica and of course he did not miss the chance. And Tsipras got postponement to be candidate in elections (!) and returned when the military service was reduced to get the army certificate.
Closing the current article, I cannot but remember the parade of March 25, 2013 which I attended with great interest, as my brother was Platoon Leader of the 2nd Parachute Squadron. It was a beautiful day and before the parade I walked in Zappeion, observing the preparations of the contingents from various Units and Military Academies. Today, two years later, I am in prison, while my brother has illegally been transferred to the Infantry. Totally coincidentally, his scandalous transfer occurred just a little while after the scandal “Baltakos-Gate” popped, proving – unfortunately – that the corrupt political power is still ravaging the Armed Forces. Despite the difficulties we are experiencing lately, we hold our head up, always “WITH STEELY MORALE” as the song goes. From another song of the Special Forces my most beloved – I cite the following lyrics, that always accompanies me in the difficult moments of my life:
“I loved
a Beret
that taught me
to behave
Like a Man!”
and continues:
“I loved
an Eagle
that taught me
how to fly”
High up there!”
The military service, the service to the Homeland lasts for a lifetime. Our whole life, an unstoppable endurance test. A march in the night under heavy rain. A disembarkment on a coast layed with mines. A jump from the maximum heights in the absolute vacuum. And only at the end the real Commandos stand out, those who learned to behave like men and to fly high.
Korydallos Prison,
March 26, 2015
