Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis speaks to Voice of Greece’s “Fair Winds and Following Seas.”
Born to a family from the seafaring island of Andros, Senator Raptakis reflects on his lifelong connection to shipping and recalls his role in helping save the Hellas Liberty, the last surviving Liberty ship of the approximately 2,400 vessels built during World War II.
Speaking with emotion, he remembers the fundraising effort launched at the U.S. Embassy in Athens on December 6, 2007, together with Spyros Polemis, the late Vassilis Constantakopoulos, and other members of the Greek shipping community. The campaign raised the funds needed in record time to preserve the historic vessel, which he describes as an important part of Greece’s maritime heritage.