“You are the son that every mother would love to have in her arms. The best brother for your brothers and sisters. The best companion for your friend, our Zoya. You have become the Icarus of our hearts, a hero we will never forget.” With these words, his mother said goodbye to the deceased Lieutenant Colonel Mario-Michael Turutsik. The funeral procession for the unfortunate 29-year-old co-pilot of the F4 Phantom that crashed off Andravida on Monday morning was held in an atmosphere of deep mourning at the Holy Church of the Prophet Elijah in Tripoli, and his burial took place at the cemetery of Agios Ioannis Pikernios in Mantinea.

“Marios, in his youth, managed to achieve something very difficult that most of us cannot do – destroy his ego. He struck it out of his vocabulary,” his devastated father said at the funeral, “he didn’t compare Greece to any other country in the world. I hope his homeland remembers him somewhere. Maybe that way his soul can rest better. And as he told me when I asked him about his salary, “Father, Greece doesn’t owe me, I owe Greece.” I believe that his debt is paid off. The consolation is that he died as he wanted, early, but full of Greece.”

A large number of people, relatives, friends and colleagues, came and expressed their support for the family. Covered with a Greek flag, the coffin with the body of a sergeant passed in front of the pilgrims lined up in a line and was delivered to the church to applause and mournful hymns. The funeral was completed with people shouting “Immortal”.

honorary promotion

“You have become the Icarus of our hearts, a hero we will never forget,” said the mother of the deceased Air Force pilot.

On the recommendation of the commander of the Greek army, it was decided to promote 29-year-old Turoutsikas and 31-year-old Efstathios Tsitlakides, who died in flight, to the honorary ranks of lieutenant generals as a minimum recognition of their merits. services to the motherland. Their families will receive all the food, as if they were discharged from the position of vice-captains alive.

President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras, Minister and Deputy Ministers of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos and Nikos Hardalias, leadership of the Armed Forces, former Minister of Defense and Civil Defense, Vangelis Apostolakis and head of the SYRIZA Department of Defense Thodoris Dritsas.

In Neurocopy…

We remind you that investigations are ongoing to clarify the circumstances of the tragedy. It is expected that the “tape” and the testimony of other pilots will give answers. The funeral of 31-year-old squadron commander Efstathios Tsitlakidis will take place today in Nevrokopi.