The captain, six officers and twenty-five petty officers requested asylum and remained in Italy as political refugees. Initially, the entire crew wished to follow their captain (170 men signed a request), but they were advised (and some ordered) by their officers to remain on board because of the fear of retaliation by the regime against their families. The men were told to return to Greece and to inform their families and friends about what had happened. Velos returned to Greece a month later with a replacement crew. After the fall of the junta on (24 July 1974), some of the officers returned to the navy. Commander Pappas reached the rank of Vice admiral and served as the chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff from 1982 to 1986. Velos was decommissioned on 26 February 1991, having sailed in her 48-year career. Preservation In 1994 the Hellenic Navy General Staff declared her a Museum of the Struggle against the Dictatorship (). The ship, then anchored at Poros Naval Base, was transferred on 14 December 2000 to Salamis Naval Base for maintenance and restoration work in order to be converted into a visitable naval museum. From 26 June 2002 until 9 September 2019 she was anchored in the Naval Tradition Park at Palaio Faliro, Athens. Since 9 September 2019, Velos has been anchored on the waterfront of Thessaloniki, close to the city's Concert Hall and is available to visit. Velos is regarded as still in commission. Awards Charrette received 13 battle stars for her World War II service. References External links Hellenic Navy page for D-16 Velos Fletcher-class destroyers of the United States Navy Ships built in Boston 1942 ships World War II destroyers of the United States Fletcher-class destroyers of the Hellenic Navy Museum ships in Greece Maritime incidents in 1973 Resistance to the Greek junta