A book written with the power and clarity of truth. Unpretentious, objective, and passionate. With only one guiding principle, the eternal "To dare to speak the truth" of Sophocles. The impetus for its writing was the 'historically inaccurate' article... by a History Professor at EKPA in KATHIMERINI on 8/3/2020, which attempted to distort history regarding the still unanswered question: "Why did the then Chief of ATA, Air Marshal Per. Oikonomou, not release the RAANDOMs from Heraklion on 22/7/74, for the neutralization of the Turkish bridgehead of Attila I, in Cyprus." As well as related to his false claim in the EUtB (1986) that: "the RAANDOMs from Heraklion were not battle-ready." It is also curious that this individual was neither referred (why?) to Military Justice for violating the military order below, which is recorded in the Operations Center Diary of the GEA and states: "22/7/1974, Time: 13:15. An order is given by the Chief of GEA to 28 TAD (now ATA), to ensure that the 10 F-4E RAANDOM aircraft from Heraklion (i.e., the two squadrons of bombers RAANDOM armed with CBU/ROCKEYE bombs and the pair of F-4E RAANDOM interceptors for covering the Bombers) take off in time to be above the target (the Turkish bridgehead of Attila I) no later than 16:30 (note: 16:30 is the time the UN ceasefire was implemented)." Could it be that some factor, from the governments of the Metapolitefsi, that had a 'interest' – perhaps even one who was involved in the tragedy of Cyprus – took care to provide cover and 'immunity' for these illegal and criminal omissions of the then (1974) Chief of ATA, Air Marshal Oikonomou?
Because, contrary to what Oikonomou claimed recently in the EUtB, in 1986, all the bombers RAANDOM from Heraklion manned by the best pilots of the Air Force, who all had been trained and made battle-ready in the USA, by the USAF and armed with special CBU/ROCKEYE weapons for neutralizing the armored forces of the Turkish bridgehead, and with the pilots inside the cockpits of these aircraft – were ready for takeoff from Heraklion airport, where they had been sent for this purpose – and anxiously awaited the order from the Chief of A/ATA, Air Marshal Per. Oikonomou, for their release and the execution of the OPERATION, which order for release was never given to us.
The book also includes, besides the information of the writer who experienced from within – from the planning and actively as the Chief of one squadron of the bombers RAANDOM from Heraklion – the operation that never took place (the real reason has not been revealed to us by the then Chief of ATA, Air Marshal Per. Oikonomou). It also includes a related 'monograph' by a credible analyst, with the eloquent title: "Metapolitefsi in Greece in 1974, made in USA" by the special analyst I.D. Papakonstantinou, posted on the Internet, which is based entirely on declassified documents from the US/Department of State (STATE.DEPARTMENT), as the Author claims.
An enlightening text, a resounding moral 'slap' to the responsibility-averse Leaderships of our Air Force, who to shake off their own criminal responsibilities for their unforgivable inaction in neutralizing the Turkish landing forces of Attila I, in Cyprus in '74, have even gone so far as to falsely claim in the EUtB in 1986 that: "The RAANDOMs from Heraklion were not battle-ready and thus they were not released for Cyprus on 22/7/1974." An outrageous lie, from fatal and irresponsible leaderships of the Air Force, who, to avoid their responsibilities, attempt to shift them onto the shoulders of their subordinates.
With the real facts and information presented in this book regarding the events of the Turkish invasion in Cyprus in '74, the reader can now correctly evaluate with their own criteria and arrive at safe conclusions regarding the role of each of the public figures (politicians and military) involved or who handled procedurally the following mutually interacting major national issues, namely:
a. Which Leadership of the Air Force was inactive in: "the release of the bombers RAANDOM from Heraklion for the neutralization of the Turkish bridgehead of Attila I in Cyprus on 22/7/74";
b. Which factors and sides of the EUtB, in 1986-88, completely ignored the complaints of the Chiefs of the RAANDOMs from Heraklion, Bale & Skreka, about the 'lie of Oikonomou' while they 'invited' as Witnesses and their Advisors, ‒ONLY the culpable parties for the NON-neutralization of the Turkish bridgehead of Attila I‒ the then (1974) Chiefs of the Air Force, ATA & GEA Air Marshals Per. Oikonomou and Alex. Papadopoulos;
c. How coincidental could the presence, in May 1990, at the Ministry of National Defense of retired Air Marshal Per. Oikonomou, as an Advisor to the Minister of Defense, be, what was the role of each in the selection of the new Leadership of our Air Force (7/5/90) and what significant details did they conceal – regarding the applicants for the position of Chief of GEA at that time – from the selection process and the members of the KYSEA (and why)?
