Greek president pays tribute to Air Marshal Chatzilakos, 102, last WWII survivor

President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou paid tribute on Tuesday to the last survivor of World War II, Air Marshal (ret.) Constantine Chatzilakos, who died on Monday aged 102.

In a social media post, Sakellaropoulou spoke of “his guileless love for his homeland and his devotion to its defense.”

The president’s full message reads, “We pay our respectful goodbyes to the heroic pilot and the last survivor of World War II, Air Marshal (ret.) Constantine Chatzilakos, who participated in over 200 war operations. His guileless love for his homeland and his devotion to its defense serve as examples for all of us.”

(Athens-Macedonian News Agency had published an interview with Chatzilakos in October 2019, available in English at http://www.amna.gr/en/article/403571/Interview-with-99-year-old-World-War-II-pilot-Constantine-Chatzilakos-Do-not-forget–pay-your-respects-and-be-vigilant)