WASHINGTON, DC, December 7, 2021 – On the 80th anniversary of the attack that sent the United States into World War II, the Washington Oxi Day Foundation remembers those of the Greatest Generation who we have had the privilege to honor at our annual Oxi Service Awards in Washington, DC. The very first such honoree was former US Senator and war hero Robert Dole who passed away two days ago.
Every year for the last 11 years, at a moving ceremony at the beautiful National WWII Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC, we have honored those who risked their lives to protect the freedoms that we enjoy. Our honorees have included Greek-Americans, Americans and Greeks. In recent years, the Service Awards have also honored heroes who served in the Korean War and Vietnam War.
A full list of those WWII veterans that our Foundation has had the privilege to honor is below:
Greek-Americans
2021 Efthemios J. “Tim” Bentas
2020 Andrew Mousalimas
2019 Alex Spanos (father of Dean Spanos)
2018 Alexander Martin Georgiades
2017 George Possas
2016 George Stavridis (father of Admiral James Stavridis)
2015 James Moshovitis
2014 Nicholas J. and Sam Bouras
2013 Christopher Mehiel (father of Dennis Mehiel)
2012 Mike P. Cokinos (father of Chris and Maria Pappas)
2011 Andrew A. Athens
Americans
2018 Celestino Almeda (nominated by Senator Dole)
2017 Senator Daniel Inouye
2016 Senator Ted Stevens
2015 Senator and Astronaut John Glenn
2014 Congressman Ralph Hall
2013 Congressman John Dingell
2012 Congressman Ben Gilman
2011 Senator Bob Dole
Greeks
2018 Theodoros Lymberakis
2017 Eleftheris Smirniotopoulos
2016 Dimitrios Itsios
2015 George Douratsos
2014 Ioannis Toumbas
2013 Konstantinos Korkos
2012 Antonios Kounalakis (father of Markos Kounalakis)
2011 Panagiotis Sakellaris (father of George Sakellaris)
