"My father arrived in the USA in 1940 at the age of 17 (his father died a year earlier) from Greece in order to work and support his mother and 2 brothers back in Italian occupied Greece. He joined the army in May of 1943 even though he was not a US citizen and could barely speak English. The Army didn't mind and made him a citizen on Sept 23 1943.

He entered the war in early 1944 and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge on May 11, 1944 as a PFC. He was wounded on July 17, 1944 at the battle in St. Lo, France and returned to duty on Aug 9, 1944. He was awarded the Purple Heart and promoted to Corporal, then later to Sergeant.

He was wounded again on Sept 17, 1944 in France and returned to duty on Nov 23, 1944. Again he was awarded the Purple Heart. He was again wounded on Jan 11, 1945 in Belgium, spent a few months in hospitals and was discharged on July 21, 1945. He later married in 1949, worked hard all his life and raised a son & daughter.
Thank God he is still with us.

My father never would talk about the war and only say it was tough as hell and they lost many good men and friends. Now in his twilight years he some times talks of those tough times and hard memories."