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Features April 13, 2005  RSS feed

Greek Soldiers Visit P.S. 122

The evzones march into the auditorium at P.S. 122, Astoria. The evzones march into the auditorium at P.S. 122, Astoria. Karmiris explained in response to questions from the students that the skirts worn by the evzones have 400 pleats, representing the 400 years the Greeks were under the domination of the Ottoman Empire. Their hats are red, representing the blood shed by their forefathers in the fight for the freedom of their Greek homeland, and their vests are black, signifying mourning for the soldiers who most recently died in battle. Their shoes weigh five pounds each and have metal studs on the soles to aid in climbing mountains. Each soldier’s costume takes six months to make; the vests alone are hand-knitted, a process that requires two months.

Evzones Georgios Epsinos (l.) and Georgios Koutsoukos (r.) with Lieutenant Elias Karmiris on the auditorium stage at P.S. 122, Astoria as Master of Ceremonies Angelo Courelas looks on. Evzones Georgios Epsinos (l.) and Georgios Koutsoukos (r.) with Lieutenant Elias Karmiris on the auditorium stage at P.S. 122, Astoria as Master of Ceremonies Angelo Courelas looks on. The evzones’ only weapon, aside from their courage, is a rifle with a bayonet attached. They engage mostly in hand-to-hand combat. Karmiris added, in response to another question, that the evzones’ stride, in which at each step they extend each leg almost 90 degrees from their bodies, come from their having to stand in one position for long periods of time. The extended-leg gait helps their circulation and avoids cramps.

Michelle Crawford’s Class 4-413, at P.S. 122, Astoria, poses with Evzones Georgios Epsimos (l.) and Georgios Koutsoukos (r.) and Lieutenant Elias Karmiris (rear r.) and Master of Ceremonies Angelo Courelas (rear l.). Michelle Crawford’s Class 4-413, at P.S. 122, Astoria, poses with Evzones Georgios Epsimos (l.) and Georgios Koutsoukos (r.) and Lieutenant Elias Karmiris (rear r.) and Master of Ceremonies Angelo Courelas (rear l.). Tom Dellis, a local real estate broker and father of a student at P.S. 122 who arranged the event, presented the evzones and Karmiris with commemorative silver Freedom Tower coins commemorating 9/11. Karmiris presented parent volunteer Pam Sable with a marble rock inscribed “With Honor From the Presidential Guard.” One child asked Karmiris a question in Greek; he responded in the same language and everyone applauded. Plans are in motion to have a larger contingent of evzones visit P.S. 122 in 2006.