Writings of John C. Papademetriou, a Greek-American Soldier in Korea (1947-1951)

Compiled and edited by Dean Papademetriou

About the Book

The Golden Anthology offers an illuminating glimpse into a pivotal but little known time in American history - before and during the Korean War - as seen through the eyes of John C. Papademetriou, a young, Greek-American immigrant who enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950. He wrote about his life in Greece, in the United States, and in the Army. He also wrote about patriotism, philosophy, and love. Now over 50 years after his death, this book is a testament to an idealistic young man and his era.

About John C. Papademetriou

John was born in Petralona, Greece in 1929. During World War II, he was imprisoned in a forced labor camp in Greece when he was only 12 years old. As an immigrant in the United States, he eagerly embraced the idealism and patriotism of post-War life in America. After immigrating to the United States in 1947, John quickly learned English, and became a prolific writer of poems in English and Greek. Later, he served in the U.S. Army medical corps in Korea (9th Regiment of the 2nd Division), and was killed in 1951 while heroically tending to a wounded fellow soldier. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart medals, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, outside Washington, D.C.