Greek diaspora events in US honor country’s WWII achievements

The strong resistance of the Greeks in World War II, immortalized on an iconic cover of Life magazine in 1940 depicting an Evzone - a member of the presidential guard - still carries its importance. It is also a source of pride for the Greek community in the United States which shapes its identity from such historic milestones. Its members currently hold high positions in the American army, while in the past they distinguished themselves in military conflicts, such as Vietnam.

It therefore made sense to duly honor Oxi Day on October 28 - marking the anniversary of the decision by Athens in 1940 to reject an ultimatum from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini to submit to Axis forces or face war - with a series of events that strengthen the national consciousness of the third- and fourth-generation diaspora.

The most important of these was held on October 31, in the...