WASHINGTON, DC, November 27, 2023 – Greek-American veterans William and George Stoukides were honored posthumously with the 2023 Vasilios S. Haseotes Service Award on October 23 at the 13th Annual Oxi Service Awards at the National WWII Memorial in Washington, DC. The grandaughter of Vasilios S. Haseotes, Zacharie Haseotes Vinios presented the award to William Stoukides’s son-in-law William Kapos.
William and George Stoukides were born in Mikro Papingo, Greece on August 13th, 1913, and July 1st, 1916, respectively. As teenagers, they immigrated to the United States with their father Megaklis Stoukides, leaving their mother and three siblings in Greece. William and George
became naturalized US Citizens and would periodically visit Greece over the years.
In 1942, William, at the age of 29, and George, at the age of 26, enlisted in the army to fight for their new country. William served in the Asian Pacific Theater Campaign specifically in Okinawa while George served in the European Theater Campaign and was part of the D-Day Normandy Invasion on June 4th, 1944, with later serving in Germany. Both brothers were honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant and received numerous medals and ribbons for their gallant service.
To see a video of this presentation, click here.
To see photos from the Oxi Service Awards, click here.
The Haseotes Service Award recognizes the service and many contributions of a distinguished Greek-American veteran in the spirit of Vasilios S. Haseotes, a decorated World War I veteran.
In 1917, Haseotes enlisted and joined the United States Army Infantry under the command of “Black Jack” Pershing to help quell the rumblings in Western Europe. To him, there was no decision to be made. America was his country now. And there was a job to be done. He functioned as an interpreter, relaying orders to his fellow Greeks who were fighting alongside him. Haseotes emerged from the forests of Verdun a hero, with shrapnel wounds and the effects of mustard gas. He was decorated by both the French and American governments.
Haseotes posthumously received the Foundation’s Oxi Service Award in 2019. The first Haseotes Service Award was presented to World War II veteran Efthemios J. “Tim” Bentas in 2021.
To see video of the Vasilios S. Haseotes presentation, click here.
To see a video of the Bentas presentation, click here.
