Area Greek-Americans share tales of courage

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
WARREN -- St. Lo, the Battle of the Bulge, Omaha Beach and Manila are not just storied battles and places mentioned in history books for a group of Warren-area Greek-American veterans who served in the U.S. military during World War II.
These longtime friends served in those far-off places, and, unlike many of their fellow soldiers, lived to tell about it.
One is George Kappas, whose right leg still is discolored from jungle rot, which along with malaria contracted in the South Pacific almost killed him.
Another, Tom P. Vouvounas, has scars from shrapnel and bayonet wounds suffered July 25, 1944, in France. He was unconscious for 14 hours and spent seven months in hospitals in England and the United States recovering before receiving a medical discharge.
More bravery
Michael G. Georges, a machine-gun squad leader, received the Silver Star for crawling 75 yards under fire, picking up a wounded man from his squad, throwing him over his shoulder and carrying him back to safety.
Just as Georges and the man he rescued reached the American lines, a bomb exploded nearby. They weren't wounded by shrapnel, but the blast knocked them both down and dislocated Georges' shoulder.
Georges said he inquired later about the man and learned the medics could not save him.
Kappas, Vouvounas and Georges are part of a group of friends who have much in common:
They live in the same community, many growing up in the "flats" of Warren. They are members of the same church, St. Demetrios Hellenic Orthodox, and are members of the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association Zeus 88. All but one are first-generation Americans.
Some of their thoughts and stories about the war are captured on tape in a 30-minute documentary, "The Greatest Hellenic Generation." The documentary was produced by Mike Keriotis of Warren, along with FKO Productions, Cortland Kiwanis and A.H.E.P.A. Zeus 88. The documentary will air on Time Warner Cable Channel 15 at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Here is personal information about the Greek-American veterans and some of what they had to say about their war experiences.
Tail gunner
George Kappas, 83, of Mecca, supervisor at Republic Steel Co. in Warren: Sergeant in the Army Air Corps, tail gunner. He volunteered for the 841st Engineers and helped build airstrips on several Pacific islands. His unit was at Manila when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan.
"The Japs had geisha girls with them. When we heard them having a big party, we knew an attack was coming."
Earned Purple Heart
Tom P. Vouvounas, 89, of Warren, drove a bus and delivered produce to restaurants and stores for many years, owned a restaurant in downtown Warren and was a cook for the Warren City Jail. He grew up in Greece and moved to the United States in 1933: Technical sergeant, Army. Received the Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars. Landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day plus four; severely wounded at St. Lo.
"When we got to Omaha Beach, there was blood and guts mixed up with the sand. ... As we advanced, we saw our paratroopers hanging dead in trees with signs in German on them that said 'What happened to them will happen to you. Go home.'"
Lesson learned
Michael G. Georges, 81, of Warren, worked as a heavy equipment operator out of Operating Engineers Local 66 in Youngstown: Staff sergeant, Army. 44th Infantry Division, 6th Armored Division. Machine-gun squad leader.
"During the Battle of the Bulge, the first time I was in heavy shelling, I could see that the German artillery was zeroing in on us. ... Someone said, 'Have a smoke.' I said, 'I don't smoke.' He said, 'Learn.' It was an eye-opener."
Flew 33 missions
Mike Papadakis, 80, of Warren, owned the Dairy Queen on Youngstown Road Southeast in Warren for 39 years: Staff sergeant, Army Air Corps. He was a B-17 bomber tail gunner with 33 missions over Germany. He said his plane was never shot down, but it was "shot up plenty of times."
"One time we had wounded and had to land at a base about 20 miles from Paris. I found a crater filled with parachutes and ammunition. I picked up a bunch of live German ... grenades ... for souvenirs and put them in the plane to take back. When the pilot found out, he told everybody to get the hell out. He gave me hell and told me to get rid of the grenades."
D-Day landing
Gust Papadakis, 81, of Warren, sold and delivered meat to restaurants and grocery stores: Private 1st class, Army. 3205th Quartermaster Service, under the command of the 6th Engineer Special Combat Brigade. Served in England for six months and in France for 19 months. Landed on Omaha Beach on June 6th, 1944, at 4 p.m.
"The water was red from blood. All I saw were dead bodies. I don't know what I thought. ... My clothing stunk from the blood."
"They told us to pick up bodies. ... All they wanted seen were dead Germans. They didn't want the new troops landing to see dead Americans."
In Battle of the Bulge
George N. Makris, 84, of Warren, delivered milk for 37 years and delivered bread: First sergeant, Army. Gunner with the 778th Anti-aircraft. Fought in the Battle of the Bulge, Ardennes, the Rhineland and Central Europe.
"I got a letter from Mike Georges with a lot of Fleet Post Office postmarks on it that he sent from Camp Hann, Calif. It caught up with me during the Battle of the Bulge [December 1945]. The letter said: 'Isn't it nice to be in sunny California.' Mike was best man at my marriage."
Destroyed 12 tanks
George Keriotis, 80, of Warren, father of tape producer Mike, owned the Golden Point Restaurant on Elm Road Northeast in Warren: Private 1st class, Army. 143rd Anti-aircraft Gun Battalion, radar and outpost spotter for 90 mm gun battalion. Served in Belgium, France and Germany.
"The 143rd was actually an anti-aircraft unit, but Hitler ran out of planes, so they turned us into an anti-tank outfit. At the Battle of the Bulge, our 90 mm guns destroyed 12 German Tiger tanks and captured another."
Present at surrender
Pete Mitchell, 83, of Warren, worked at Thomas Steel Strip Co. in Warren: Seaman 1st class, Navy. Deckhand on the USS Treasure Island in the South Pacific. Then, served on the USS Missouri when it entered Tokyo Bay to accept the surrender of Japan.
"After two years in the Pacific, they gave me leave [when the ship got back to the states]. When they wanted me to go back overseas, I jumped ship. After six months in the brig, when they ordered me to go overseas, I didn't say no again."