Velos

Europe Destroyer

USS Charrette, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was built in Boston. The ship fought in the Pacific, escorted aircraft carriers, conducted raid operations, and participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In 1947, she was sent to the reserve for subsequent mothballing. In 1959, the United States handed the ship over to Greece, where she received the name "Velos." In 1973, the commander of the ship—Nikolaos Pappas—in protest against the junta of the "black colonels," headed the destroyer for Italy, where he asked for political asylum with part of the crew. The next year, after the fall of the junta, the sailors returned to Greece. In 1994, the destroyer was declared an Anti-Dictatorial Museum in recognition of the Navy's devotion to the constitution and democracy.