The Army's Civil War memorial on Grammos(Μνημείο ΓΡΑΜΜΟΥ)

On the peaks of Grammos, overlooking the Albanian borders in Western Greece, the serenity of the vast low-vegetated ridges and the grass that whistles on the light summer breeze provide little evidence that this was once the setting for the most crucial and deadly battles of the Greek Civil War.
Commemorating the dead of the Grammos battles of 1948 and ’49, the Hellenic Army (ES) of the Greek government, the winning side of the Civil War against the communistic Democratic Army of Greece (DSE), built this monument on Gkesos peak, one of the highest of Grammos mount.
The monument stands at 2.163 meters. Further away, the Perifano peak has an altitude of 2.444 m., next to the Tsouka Petsik peak which, at 2.520 m., is the highest of Grammos and the fourth highest of Greece. An unpaved road, accessible only during the summer, starts from the village of Aetomilitsa at 1.430 m. and reaches the ES monument on Gkesos peak.
On its west side, in the direction of Albania, the monument bares a laurel wreath with the words ‘Grammos Battles 1948-49’, a couplet of the Greek national anthem, and the mention to the 596 Infantry Battalion and the First Army Corps. Its base, which bares the word ‘OXI’ in large letters, which means ‘NO’, hides a small church.
The main battles of Grammos took place from June to August 1948. The forces of ES were outnumbering the fighters of DSE by almost 6-to-1. By August 21st, the DSE forces retreated towards the northeast, to mount Vitsi. A year later, the Greek Civil War ended in favor the Hellenic Army, while the DSE fighters crossed the borders to seek shelter at the neighboring communist states.