Chimbidis Killed in Action in Luxembourg on Feb. 11
Joined Army Last June and Overseas Since First of Year
Pfc. Michael (Mike) Chimbidis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nick Chimbidis, 628 Van Buren S.W., was killed in action in Luxembourg on Feb.11, according to a message from the war department received here.
Pfc. Chimbidis had been overseas since the first of the year. The last letter received from him here was dated Feb. 4. In it he had said that he had just had a furlough of 6 days in Luxembourg, that he as feeling fine and that he had seen some action.
Pfc. Chimbidis was born in Chicago on April 8, 1926, and came to Mason City at the age of 6. He attended the Mason City schools and left last June to join the army when in his junior year in high school, where he had played football and was on the varsity basketball team.
Source: Mason City Globe-Gazette, February 28, 1945 (photo included)
To Mike Chimbidis, Class of 1945
As Gus Dimarco said Monday noon, "It hits you between the eyes when one of your own class pays the supreme sacrifice on the battlefield in Europe. 'Chicago Mike' was a great pal, we'll miss him."
A girl in the ninth grade at Roosevelt with Mike commented, "Out at Roosevelt, we talked about the war as something that would never touch us especially, and now it has dragged on and on until one of our class faces death at Luxembourg. How little did we think that so many of the class of '44 and '45 would be in the thickest of the fight like Mike!"
As the sad news spread in classes and corridors Monday phrases such as the following were heard: "Happy go-lucky kid!" "Friendly and good natured!" "The life of the party!" "Cheerful with a winning way and sunny disposition!" "A swell guy to know!" "Generous to a fault with time and money!" "Took keen delight in exhibiting his knowledge of Greek at football practice!" "Big, strong, athletic, how he did burst his buttons on his clothes in those impromptu wresting bouts before chemistry hour!"
Mike's supreme delight was dancing to record music. As one lad put it, "It was a familiar sight at the Y.M.C.A to see Mike sorting out 10 or 12 records, placing them in order of preference and calling upon some kid to change them while he danced. Oh, how he loved to dance!"
Orville A. George, his math instructor, writes, "Just yesterday it seems, Mike Chimbidis actively explored the mysteries of mathematics in my class. Qualities of exemplary behavior, courtesy, dependability, modesty, honesty and cheerfulness, reawaken pleasant memories of him. We, who still live, are privileged and inspired to work and fight for those principles in democracy which Mike died to sustain.
The Rev. Father Ambrose G. Giannoukos, M.S.M. of the Hellenic Orthodox church writes:
"The heroic end of Michael Chambidis brings to a close a short life packed with sacrifices and devotion.
"Mike, along with several other boys of my church, was a constant companion to me and a sincere devoted follower of the Orthodox faith.
"Character is a counterpart to the illuminating smile that is to be remembered in Mike, the first of my church to be killed inaction."
The friendly, unassuming, sincere Mike, who had the ability to make other people happy will be remembered. Mike's passing brings to mind the immortal tribute of Markham to Lincoln:
"And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down
As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs,
Goes down with a great shout upon the hills,
And leaves a lonesome place against the sky."
Source: Mason City Globe-Gazette, March 3, 1945
MEMORIAL FOR SERVICE MEN SUNDAY
Five members of the armed forces who have given their lives in combat will be honored at the 8th joint public memorial service to be held at Music hall Sunday afternoon at 3:45, with the Rev. Russell Pope, pastor of the Church of the Open Bible, giving the eulogy.
Burial flags given by the United States government will be presented to the next of kin of these 5 servicemen to be thus honored; Salude F. Flores, killed in Leyte; Michael Chimbidis, killed in Luxembourg; Mitchell A. Harding, killed in Germany; Lloyd Phillip Allen, lost on U. S. S. Warrington; and Robert C. Jacobson, killed on Iwo Jima. The Gold Star citation scroll given by the national department of the American Legion will also be presented to those receiving the flags.
The program will open with a 5 minute prologue to be played by Mrs. Roy Servison. Mrs. Harold Wolfe will sing 2 selections with Mrs. Servison at the piano. Company E of the Iowa state guard will furnish the honor guard and firing squad for the day. John Reuber is bugler.
All veteran organizations and their auxiliaries and all other patriotic organizations will attend in a body with their colors. They are requested to be at Music hall at 3:45.
Source: The Globe Gazette, Mason City, Iowa, Friday, March 23, 1945, Page 14 (photo included)
Michael Nick Chimbidis was born Apr. 8, 1926 to Nick and Mary Nickolas Chimbidis. He died Feb. 11, 1945 and is buried in Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg.
Pvt. Chimbidis served in World War II with the U.S. Army 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division and was KIA in Luxembourg. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Sources: ancestry.com; abmc.gov
