Admiral Ioannis Toumbas, an esteemed Greek naval officer, served in the exiled Greek Armed Forces after fleeing his home country during the German Invasion of Greece in April 1941. During World War II, he assumed command of a destroyer vessel, the Adrias, that was responsible for many successful missions throughout the Mediterranean including sinking several German U-boats. On October 22, 1943, during the naval operations of the Dodecanese Campaign, Toumbas demonstrated tremendous valor when the Adrias struck a sea mine and lost her entire bow. After makeshift repairs, Toumbas led the ship back to Egypt arriving at Alexandria on December 6th. At the end of his military career, Ioannis served as a Naval Attaché in Washington, D.C., while also being promoted to Vice Admiral. When he returned to Greece in 1955, he became heavily involved in Greek politics and served as a member of Parliament. Later in his career, he served as the Minister for the Interior, the Minister for Public Works, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs.