AMERICANS
fighting at  Thermopylae
(World War II)

The Federation of Hellenic-American Organizations
proudly announces that
all 21 men in the unit were awarded the

BRONZE  STAR  MEDAL

with the V-Device for

VALOR and   HEROISM in  COMBAT

_________

This is the first time in U. S. Military history that all the men in one unit have received this honor.

 

Most frequently  the   number 300 comes to  mind whenever Thermopylae  is mentioned.   In this case, however,  only 22  men were involved;  and they were faced with the task not to foreclose on the enemy's entry but on his exit from the country.  It is an engaging story that every American should know about  because  these were  Americans  who  fought for Freedom and  Faith barely  one thousand yards from the  Gorgopotamos [Swiftriver]  with its forbidding narrows, and also in the historic  Pindus  Mountains.

The   leader of  the special unit  is Captain John (Yannis) Giannaris   ("Invalided Out "1947)   who lives to tell us the story despite the over two hundred pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body (pieces still remaining).

 Second World War: US combat unit in Greece. Rome, Byzantium, and the Ottoman occupiers had exerted power over these lands in the past.

Capt. John G. Giannaris
Operational Group Commander
FDRS 122nd INF (Greek
Battalion)
Office of Strategic Services
OSS

Highly-trained and operating under top secrecy, a tiny band of the most deadly O.S.S. fighting men that the United States could train, led by John (Yannis) Giannaris, slipped into Axis-occupied Greece during World War II knowing that they were on a suicide mission against overwhelming enemy odds.

Severely wounded in action, on the verge of death, and battling for life, John (Yannis) Giannaris, a young Greek-American army Officer from Chicago, survived to tell the incredible story of the daring role that he and his men from the legendary Greek Battalion played in the liberation of Greece during some of the most fateful moments of World War II.

It's a "top secret" cloak and dagger story that now can be told.

Yannis Giannaris recounts his rugged, dangerous training and unfolds his story against the background of D-Day in Europe.

Operating under the code name of "Smash "Em!" Yannis and his men were handed the next-to-impossible mission of sabotaging and crippling a desperate German attempt to withdraw their forces from Greece and rush them up to defend the beleaguered Nazi forces in France and Germany.

Yannis and the 21 Greek-American enlisted men under his command were pitted against thousands of crack German troops in the rugged Pindus Mountain Range and the Valley of Lamia northwest of Athens.

This is the story of a fantastic wartime mission that was suppressed for years by Executive government order because of the highly sensitive nature of Yannis' secret intelligence operations.

It's a story of Adventure, Danger, Romance, Courage, Daring, Justice and the triumph of the human spirit that every American can be proud of.

_______________________

THE
GREEK  BATTALION
 instituted by Executive Order of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
penetrated occupied Greece in 1944
by means of parachute and amphibious operations.

(Alphabetical Roster)

A
Agelopas, Evangelo
Agoritsas, Arthur J.
Alexatos, James K.
Ameredes, Harry T.
Amigdalitsis, Nick J.
Andrews, Thomas K.
Antinopoulos, Charles P.
Anton, Peter
Antonakis, James
Antonopoulos, Anargyros
Apostolatos, Jerry
Apostolopoulos, James M.
 
B
Babalis, Gust J.
Backman, Gilbert I.
Basiardanes, George T.
Bertakis, Constantin S.
Bichekas, John
Bitsikas, John
Blanas, Frank T.
Boosalis, George G.
Boutselis, Aristides J.
Brady, Bernard F.
 
C
Cacavias, John C.
Caragian, Stavros E.
Caroulis, James
Christ, David J.
Christis, Christ C.
Chumas, George
Ciras, Joseph C.
Cominos, Nick H
 
D
Daigle, Jr., Richard J.
Darr, Ronald J
Doukas, Photios G.
Drake, James T.
 
E
Efstahtiou, George M.
Eichler, Robert E.
Eliopoulos, Cus
 
F
Fergadiotis, Harry
Fotinatos, Dionisios
Frangas, Demetrius
Frangis, Paul N.
 
G
Gates, Walter, E.
Georgalos, Tom P.
Gewlas, Alexander G.
Gianiotis, Tasos J.
Giannaris, John G.
Gineris, Steve J.
Glaros, John G.
Grevis, Andtew G.
 
H
Haritakis, Alexander
Hillias, George
Hortos, William S.
Houlihan, Robert F.
 
J
Johnson, William
 
K
Kaleyias, Angelo H.
Kalliavas, George S.
Kamvouris, Demetrios G.
Karabatsos, Andrew G.
Karakitsos, George C.
Katsaros,George E.
Katsias, Alexander C.
Katsikis, Constantinos S.
Katsikos, John G.
Kavallieros, Minas C.
Kavourhas, James, S.
Keramas, George N.
Kirtatas, Bill G.
Kitakis, Gust
Kondos, Mihail G.
Kosisek, Rudolph R.
Kountouris, Mike C.
Koutelis, Jon M.
Kraras, Gust C.
Kurchock, Peter
Kutulas, George J.
Kypriotis, George C.

L
Laris, Peter M.
Laubs, James A.
Lefakis, Trifon A.
Lenares, Louis G.
Leonardos, William
Lewis, Pete H.
Liarakos, Charles
Loukas, Anton
Loulas, Christ G.
Lowdermilk, Dean M.
Lygizos, Angelo N.

M
Mackey, Paul, J.
Makris, Lambros G.
Manusos, Michael P.
Markides, Theodore N.
Mastros, Steve J.
Mehilos, William G.
Mihopoulos, Apostolos G.
Mill, Harris R.
Miller, Victor L.
Minogianis, John P.
Mort, Donald E
Moshopoulos, Peter M.
Mousalimas, Andrew S.
Mukanos, Gust
 
N
Nanos, Gus
 
O
Orkoulas, Alekos X.
 
P
Pahules, Gregory M.
Paidis, Pete G.
Palans, Gus L.
Panagakos, Peter M.
Papapanu, Nicholas D.
Papastrat, George J.
Papavassiliou, James
Papayannakis, Spiridon B.
Papazoglou, George
Papoulias, Arhtur D.
Pappas, George J.
Pappas, Nicholas G.
Peyton, Lon
Philippides, Stephanos J.
Phillips, Alexander P.
Phillips, Perecles P.
Photis, Peter C.
Pipinias, Eleftherios J.
Pirpos, John T.
Polyzos, Demetrios N.
Pope, Paul B.
Portolos, Bill
Portolos, Georgios P.
Porysees, Alexnder C.
Poulakos, Theodore J.
Poulos, Aris
Poulos, Sam C.
Psarakis, Spero
Psinas, Alvin G
Psomas, Alexander.
Pulos, Harry J.
 
R
Ramoundos, Nick E.
Redovian, Martin
Rennie, Norbert F.
 
S
Salaris, Konstantine A.
Sampatacacus, Anthony G.
Sanches, Armando
Saris, Christopher T.
Schneeberger, Lyle M.
Segeti, Jr., Steven F.
 Sembrakis, Hercules J.
Serelis, Anthony J.
Seremetis, William G.
Shiomos, Harry
Siapicas, Paul
Skiriotis, Christ
Soullas, Thomas P.
Stamates, Peter
Stathis, George J.
Strimenos, Theophanes G.
 
T
Taflambas, Spiros T.
Theodorou, Costas A.
Thomas, James A.
Tiniakos, George S.
Tsantes, Eleftherios T.
Tsimulas, Michalis
Tsolas, James A.
Tsouderos, John E.
 
V
Vakakas, Sotirios G.
Vanikiotis, Nicholas A.
Vellios, Gus
Vellis, Alex
Verghis, George W.
Voulgarakis, Steve
 
Z
Zahariades, Constantine
Zarrras, Paul J.
Zevitas, James J.
Zien, Joseph F.
Zonas, James M.

 

 

 

 

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Expansion of Western Civilization: from Constantine the Great to Constantinople and Byzantium and onward to America

NEW BYZANTIUM is The AMERICAS
 We are sincerely pleased you have come to visit our Site and we extend to you our warmest greeting in the highest tradition of BYZANTIUM.  Our Principal goal is to impart to you heretofore intentionally little known facts about BYZANTIUM as the foundation of Western Civilization.  We will avoid knowingly withholding the truth as an aim to social disorientation.  Practice of historical deception must cease.  We hope that you will enjoy our contribution to the fullest.  Welcome.
Constantine the Great began his eventful climb in York, England and reached the apex of his achievement in Constantinople, the City that he founded and named after himself (Constantine+Polis [city]=Constantinople).  By means of these pages, our readers travel through time, touching upon the early periods, including that of Constantine, of historical Constantinople, and of Hagia Sophia—the nexus of the Christian world—to arrive at places and events of our present day.  Our readers reach the outermost limit to which both Eastern and Western Christian groups expanded, bringing forth the flower of Western Civilization.  That limit is the Western Hemisphere as a whole, and in particular the coast of California near San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge where the two groups converged  as they approached from the North and from the South.