Merchant Marine Color Guard Honors WWII Mariner

Photo Maria Tolios Members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Color Guard of Kings Point, New York and 10-year-old George Tom Dellis with City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., in front of the Jumeirah Essex House following a pre-parade reception on Sunday, April 2 in Manhattan.

Members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Color Guard of Kings Point, NY, made their first-ever appearance in the 75th annual Greek Independence Day parade in New York this year, organized by Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York. They marched along Fifth Avenue in a wave of blue and white amongst thousands of Hellenes and Philhellenes on Sunday, April 2.

The Color Guard marched in honor of the many Greek-American merchant marines that served during WWII but especially for one mariner, the late Tom Dellis of Poros Island, Greece, whose history of service to the United States Merchant Marine was lost to family members until now. Dellis is also the late greatgrandfather of 10-year-old evzone George Tom Dellis of Astoria, a fifth-grader at I.S. 227, the Louis Armstrong School, and the boy whose face adorned all the Greek parade posters this year.

Young George's father, Tom Dellis, grandson of the merchant seaman of the same name, followed a paper trail of discharge slips and steamship recommendation letters to an outline of his grandfather's career. He immediately turned to Congressmember Joseph Crowley and Queens Democratic Leader Tom Manton to help in his quest to learn more. They

discovered that the first Tom Dellis had a record of valiant and excellent service during World War II. He was awarded the Victory Medal and bars for service in Merchant Marine Combat, the Atlantic War Zone, Pacific War Zone, and Mediterranean Middle East War Zone.

Officials at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy were immediately notified. Captains Kenneth Force, Director of the Regimental Band, and Robert G. Allee, Commandant of Midshipmen, agreed to honor one of their own in this year's Greek Independence Day parade. It fit well with this year's parade theme "Honoring the Greek Immigrants To America And The Success Of Following Generations."

"It is incredibly moving for me and my family to finally pay proper respect and gratitude to my grandfather," Tom Dellis said. He is planning a special trip to Greece this summer to share the news with fellow compatriots on Poros Island, Greece.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, City Council member Peter Vallone Jr., Assemblymembers Michael Gianaris and Matthew Mirones and Rhode Island State Senator Leonidas Raptakis were among the many honored guests. The day of the parade began with a morning Doxology Service at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Manhattan, led by Archbishop Demetrios

of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, followed by a reception at the Jumeirah Essex House. --Eleni Daniels