9After the deaths of Matoula and Irini, there were no more jokes about Italians in Metsovo. Young Greek soldiers were returning home from Ioannina in coffins. Others never returned at all, having been declared missing in action. The war was going to be painful and everyone was holding on to each other even tighter, as Yiannis’ battalion helped push the retreating and exhausted Italian force over the Albanian border. Thousands in the Greek army were now suffering frostbite, many of whom would be disabled for life, and Yiannis had been given the painful job of severing frostbitten limbs before the soldiers were taken to the hospital at Ioannina. It was the perfect assignment for him. Having received two letters from home at the same time, one from Papa Yiorgos and one from Matoula, the war d
