Eulogy
On September 11th, 1945, tragically close to the end of the war, First Lieutenant Xenophon Eugenedes of Pennsylvania made a small miscalculation that resulted in the crash of his Lockheed Lightning plane into a small mountain in Wales. Since then, the wreckage of his plane has been vandalized and destroyed, leaving only a shell of it as his memorial in the Welsh countryside. His remains are laid to rest in Cambridge American Cemetery in Cambridge, England.
Xenophon was the son of two immigrants, Eugene and Susan Eugenedes, who immigrated from Turkey in 1920. Just two years later, Xenophon was born, and two after that came his younger sister, Olga. He grew up in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh.
We know Xenophon's father was drafted in 1942. We also know that Xenophon entered the military in 1942 -- one can only presume that he saved his father, nearly 50 at the time, from military service by entering the Army himself. He was a member of the Army Air Corps in the 27th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, and received the Air Medal with an Oak Cluster. Though there is little remaining information about Xenophon himself, what is clear is that he was an outsider, the son of immigrants, who put his life on the line for his country at a time in U.S. history when immigrants garnered little respect. One can only assume that he joined the military to save his father's life. And, despite his tragic loss, he succeeded.
Xenophon was the son of two immigrants, Eugene and Susan Eugenedes, who immigrated from Turkey in 1920. Just two years later, Xenophon was born, and two after that came his younger sister, Olga. He grew up in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh.
We know Xenophon's father was drafted in 1942. We also know that Xenophon entered the military in 1942 -- one can only presume that he saved his father, nearly 50 at the time, from military service by entering the Army himself. He was a member of the Army Air Corps in the 27th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, and received the Air Medal with an Oak Cluster. Though there is little remaining information about Xenophon himself, what is clear is that he was an outsider, the son of immigrants, who put his life on the line for his country at a time in U.S. history when immigrants garnered little respect. One can only assume that he joined the military to save his father's life. And, despite his tragic loss, he succeeded.