The Hellenic University Club of Wilmington will mark its 60th anniversary with an evening of history and storytelling that shines a light on a remarkable but little-known chapter of Greek heritage in America.
The Balkan Wars of 1912–1913 reshaped the map of southeastern Europe. Greece, alongside its Balkan allies, fought to free territories still under Ottoman rule, and the success of these campaigns nearly doubled the size of the young Greek state. Among those who answered the call to fight were thousands of men who had already built new lives across the Atlantic.
Peter S. Giakoumis, historian, author, filmmaker, and military expert, will present War in the Balkans: The Forgotten Greek American Heroes of 1912–1913 on Friday, November 7, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Blue Box Theater, Odyssey Charter School (4319 Lancaster Pike, Building 20).
Giakoumis is the author of The Forgotten Heroes of the Balkan Wars: Greek Americans and Philhellenes 1912–1913, a groundbreaking book that documents how about 35,000 immigrants from the Greek diaspora returned to Greece in 1912, making up roughly one third of the Greek army. His research uncovers the stories of these volunteers, many from Greek immigrant communities across the United States, including the Delaware Valley, who left their lives in America to fight for their ancestral homeland.
A native New Yorker, Giakoumis has spent decades bringing this history to life through books, films, and public talks. He is an award-winning filmmaker and historian. He also served as a reserve captain in the New York Guard and worked for three decades with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Today, he leads the Greek American GRAM 1912 History Project, collecting photographs, letters, and personal testimonies to preserve these stories for future generations, and writes regularly for The National Herald.
An Odyssey Charter School campus tour will be offered at 5:30 PM for interested guests. After the presentation there will be a meet and greet, book signing and reception.
This free public event promises more than a lecture. It is a chance for the community to connect with a shared past and pass these stories to the next generation. All are welcome.
Featured image: Historian and filmmaker Peter S. Giakoumis with his book The Forgotten Heroes of the Balkan Wars: Greek-Americans and Philhellenes 1912–1913, the focus of his upcoming lecture in Wilmington.
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