USS Slater & Greek Community to Commemorate OXI Day

On October 28th, millions around the world will commemorate OXI (pronounced ō-hē) Day, a day honoring Greece’s courageous resistance during World War II. The day will be remembered on board the USS SLATER in Albany, New York, with a brief program starting at 9:00 a.m. The public is invited to attend.

In 1940, Mussolini delivered an ultimatum to Greece’s Prime Minister demanding the entry of the Italian army into Greece and the Italian occupation of Greek territory. The Prime Minister refused. His response was quickly echoed by the people of Athens as “Oxi,” meaning “No.”

The Italian forces entered Greece via the steep Pindos Mountains where they met fierce and unexpected resistance. Hitler was forced to delay his invasion of Russia and extend his campaign into the winter in order to subdue the Greeks, where the Italians had failed. This fatal diversion proved to be a great advantage for the Allies. Winston Churchill paid homage to the Greek resistance by claiming, “…until now we would say that the Greeks fight like heroes. From now on we will say that heroes fight like Greeks.”

The USS SLATER has a special connection to the people of Greece. In 1951, the ship, along with three sister ships, was transferred to the Hellenic Navy and renamed AETOS (pronounced ī-tōs), meaning “eagle.” It completed hundreds of reconnaissance missions and training cruises for naval cadets over a forty-year career. After it was decommissioned in 1991, a group of destroyer escort sailors negotiated the SLATER’s return to the United States as a museum ship in 1993.

The USS SLATER is located at the Hudson River in downtown Albany. Public hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through November 30. The ship will be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for children. Call 518-431-1943 for more information or visit the ship’s website.