George Poppas was born in 1931 and raised in Patras, Greece, where his life’s dedication to honorably serving those around him began at a young age. As a boy in Nazi-occupied Greece, he supported the nation’s resistance to Axis rule by printing and distributing resistance flyers, painting anti-Nazi slogans, and running supplies and intelligence into the hills to partisan fighters. He was wounded in one operation, and relied on a local butcher for care when no doctors were available.

In 1946, after the German withdrawal from Greece and at the age of 15, Poppas traveled alone to New York City, where he found work at a local Greek diner. He ultimately connected with family in Upper Darby, Pa., where he finished high school and looked to attend the Merchant Marine Academy.

As a naturalized American citizen, Poppas was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Because of his European background, being a native Greek speaker with multiple other language skills, he was selected to conduct counter-intelligence operations against the Soviet Union blending among the displaced people in post-WWII Germany. This is also where he met his future wife, Bessie, who upon earning a journalism degree from Marquette University wanted to travel, and was in Europe managing USO clubs.

Upon completing his tour of service, Poppas returned to the U.S. and used his G.I. Bill to earn an engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, Poppas owned and operated a number of small businesses, while he and Bessie raised three children who went on to find success in medicine, the film industry, and the U.S. military.

Poppas continues to reside in Janesville, Wisc., where he served many years as a community leader, including six terms on the Janesville City Council and one as the Council’s president.