Kirici Pipi

Pipi was born in Enidzhe-Vardarsko to a poor family. At the time of the German occupation she was very young but that did not prevent her from helping the struggle - at the start, as a pioneer, then as a member of EPON, later with a rifle in hand and as a partisan.

Inspired by the fire of the national liberation struggle, she joined the ranks of DAG at the age of 17 and from the first she set off before the experienced fighters. She distinguished herself with her extraordinary fighting spirit and fearlessness. She was the pride of her unit. In the battles and the marches she was always first. At the battle of Grevena she fought heroically. She cut herself off from the unit and the others thought something bad had happened to her. But after a little time had passed, she joined the battalion with another, wounded fighter and she was happy.

In the epic story of Gramos on the heights of Kleftis and Golio she demonstrated great bravery. She was praised three times for her bravery and daring. She was heavily wounded there but she did not want to leave her comrades. Before the wounds could be treated she returned to her unit.

In the battles at Kula-Glavata, as a commissar commander with two groups she set off at the lead. She ran from fighter to fighter giving encouragement to the comrades who were standing among an enemy battalion. Because of her bravery the DAG headquarters promoted her to lieutenant, commissar.

When she was wounded, knowing there was no hope of surviving, she said, "I have never been afraid of death. What I am sad about is that I am going to die before I see my homeland free. I wanted a free and democratic Homeland."

From: For Sacred National Freedom: Portraits Of Fallen Freedom Fighters

© 2009

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