On a quiet Saturday morning in late November, members of Eleftheria VFW Post 6633 gathered inside the hall of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Jeffersonville. Before them stood a new bronze memorial plaque, completing a twenty-year effort to honor Greek American veterans across Greater Philadelphia. With this installation, the post fulfilled its long promise to recognize every veteran connected to the region’s parishes.
Eleftheria VFW Post 6633 is the only Greek American Veterans of Foreign Wars post in the United States. Its memorial program began in 2004 with the goal of placing a permanent tribute in every Greek Orthodox church in the area. On November 22, 2025, that mission reached its conclusion at St. Sophia.
The ceremony brought together the post leadership and St. Sophia’s new priest, Father Konstantinos Loukas. Commander George Roebas, Quartermaster Curtis Cummings, Vice Commander and archon George Reganis, and Chaplain Tom Antonakis joined him in presenting the new plaque. Father Konstantinos has embraced the post’s work and welcomed its members into the life of the parish.
The plaque honors both living and fallen veterans. At the top are the medallions of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. Beneath them is the inscription: “Eleftheria Post 6633 Veterans of Foreign Wars: A Lifetime of Service to Our Community and Our Country, 1946–2024.” Two side panels list 20 servicemen who gave their lives in service and are remembered as honorary post members.
In total, 233 nameplates represent nearly eight decades of service spanning World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War, including Operation Desert Storm. This final plaque joins the memorials previously placed at Annunciation in Elkins Park, St. Demetrios in Upper Darby, St. George Cathedral in Philadelphia, St. Luke in Broomall, St. Thomas in Cherry Hill, and St. George in Media. Together, they form a network of remembrance across the Greek Orthodox churches of Greater Philadelphia.
A quiet moment settled over the hall when Father Konstantinos read each name aloud. Families listened in stillness as the names echoed through the space. “Seeing the names together on this plaque, in the place where our community gathers and prays, means everything to us,” said Quartermaster Curtis Cummings. “It keeps their legacy alive in the heart of our church.”
Eleftheria Post 6633 was founded in 1946 by Greek American World War II veterans. Their first Memorial Day service took place at the original Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Philadelphia, a tradition that continues today. Each year the post gathers at Fernwood Cemetery in Lansdowne to honor the fallen, making this one of the longest running commemorations in Philadelphia’s Greek American community.
Although the post is smaller today, it remains active and committed. Members meet monthly at area churches, now at St. Demetrios in Upper Darby, and continue to support veterans, military families, and the wider community.
With the plaque now in place at St. Sophia, Eleftheria VFW Post 6633 completes its two-decade memorial project. The tributes across the region will stand for generations, reminding future families of the veterans whose service helped shape the life of this community.