Greece remembers Giorgos Baltadoros, the fighter pilot who died April 12, 2018 when his Mirage 2000-5 plane crashed into the Aegean, after a mission intercepting Turkish jets which had violated Greek airspace.
To honor the fallen hero, the Hellenic Air Force recently installed a Mirage fighter aircraft at Baltadoros’s birthplace of Morfovouni, a picturesque village near the city of Karditsa, Thessaly.
“Four years have passed since the sacrifice of Squadron Leader George Baltadoros. He fell on duty. We do not mourn. We honor him with pride. He identified with the ideals of the Homeland. IMMORTAL!”, Greek Minister of Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos tweeted on Tuesday.
Πέρασαν τέσσερα χρόνια από την θυσία του Σμηναγού Γιώργου Μπαλταδώρου. Έπεσε στο καθήκον. Δεν θρηνούμε. Τον τιμούμε με υπερηφάνεια. Ταυτίστηκε με τα ιδανικά της Πατρίδας.
ΑΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ! pic.twitter.com/PnGLsxo9Fr— N Panagiotopoulos (@npanagioto) April 12, 2022
Baltadoros served in the 331st Squadron, based at Tanagra Air Base, about 40 kilometers (26 miles) north of the Greek capital.