Memorial to the Greek Soldiers Fallen during the Korean War

The first Greek Allied mission, as part of the United Nations, took place between November 1950 and December 1955 in Korea. An army battalion and a Royal Air Force squadron of seven C-47 Dakota aircraft were called in to defend South Korea against the North Korean military invasion. As part of the Allied plans, the Greek Expeditionary Force took part in many defensive and offensive operations. The battles were fierce and sometimes resulted in many casualties. Despite the adverse climate conditions and the enemy’s superior numbers, the Greek soldiers fought with exemplary bravery and were rewarded with the Allies’ respect and a commendation by the President of South Korea Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) and the President of the United States of America Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969). Today, in the Municipality of Papagou-Cholargos in Athens, visitors can find the memorial erected in honour of the fallen Greek soldiers who defended South Korea. The memorial consists of a peristyle with Doric columns and a triglyph motif, as well as a marble memorial stele, on the surface of which a brass-relief shield with representations of an ancient Greek helmet, a spear and a laurel branch has been placed. The stele is engraved with the dates of the War, a reference to the Republic of Korea's concern for the erection of the monument, and a quote from the ancient Greek historian Thucydides: “The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men”.