My father Christos J. Siotas, a five-year veteran (volunteered) from January 1918 to November 1922 (World War I), volunteered again in 1942 and was sent overseas in October 1944, fought in the Battle of the Bulge as Rifleman 745 with 6th Air Service Squadron of 101st Airborne Division, got a Combat Infantry Badge in January 1945 plus several medals and was discharged in July 1945. He brought my mother and myself, Demetrios Christos Siotas, from Siatista, Greece, and in October 1950 I served as a U.S. selectee, ending up in Korea (Iron Triangle) with the 40th Infantry Division until October 1952, was transferred to reserves and honorably discharged.

The climate of Greece’s defeat in 1897 by the Ottomans was bitter when Christos J. Siotas was born in 1899. Until he was 8, the only thing he could hear was talk about Greeks fighting to save Macedonia from Bulgarians. He got enthused in his 12th year when Greeks defeated the Turks in 1912 and Siatista was freed. At 17 he was exposed to French Legion Vietnamese soldiers stationed in Siatista for 6 months, and at 18 he volunteered into the Greek Army of Venizelos and fought the Turks in Asia Minor until November 1922.
In America since 1928, Christos Siotas volunteered into the U.S. Army in July 1942 stating he was born in 1900 instead of 1899 in order to be accepted. Inducted on Dec. 4, 1942, he served as a rifleman and on Feb. 26, 1944, was classified unfit for overseas service, yet he requested reclassification and was sent to France on Oct. 4, fought in the Battle of the Bulge with the 6th Air Service Squadron of the 101st Airborne Division, receiving the Combat Infantryman Badge on Jan. 7, 1945, and two Bronze Stars. He fought until July 1945. His son Demetrios (James) was brought to America in 1946. In 1950 he elected to serve instead of exemption for non-citizenship and fought in Korea’s Iron Triangle sector with the 40th Infantry Division until October 1952.