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Kafkalas retires fromGuard, receives medalA military career that began in Monessen and spanned more than four decades has ended at Fort Indiantown Gap near Harrisburg.Maj. Gen. Nicholas P. Kalkalas, a Monessen native who now lives at Camp Hill, pa., retired from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard a Her completing more thai 41 years of service.'Highlighting the retirement ceremony held in his honor atThe Gap was the presentation to Kafkalas of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Army’s fourth highest military decoration. Tnc medal, rarely awarded to reserve component officers, was presented by Gen. Rober M, Shoemaker, comrnaner of the Army's Forces Command at Fort McPherson, GaIn addition to the federal award, Kafkalas was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on the Pennsylvania National Guard Retired List and received several plaques and momen-los from fellow Guard officers.Kafkalas began his military career on March 6. 1939. enlisting as a private in the Guard’s Company D, 110th Infantry. 28th Division, in Monessen.He was a sergeant when the unit was federalized with the 28th Infantrv Division for World War II service in February of 1941. After completing Infantry OCS in 1942. Kafkalas was assigned as a platoon leader with the 10th Armored Division in 1942 and later deployed to England with (he divisionServing as an infantry company commander with tch 10th Armored Division.Kafkalas participated in three major European campaigns during 1944-45, including Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe, during which he earned the Purple Heart and was twice awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action.Released from active duty as a captain in October 1945. Kafkalas participated in the post-war reorganization of the Pennsylvania National Guard. In June of 1916. he was appointed commander of Company D, 110th Infantry Regiment. 28th Infantry Division in Monessen. This was the same unit he had joined as a private seven years earlierWhen the 28th Infantry Division was mobilized for Korean War service and sent to Germany in 1951, Kafkalas, then a major, served as the operations officer for the 110th Infantry in Germany and later as commander of the 3rd Battalion. 110th Infantry. He returned to the United States and was released from active duty in December 1953.He rejoined the 28lh Division and began working fulltime for that unit. He served as the 28th’s operations and training officer from 1954 to l%0. He was named division Chief of Staff on July 15.1960, and was promoted to colonel several months later.Promoted to brigadier general Nov. 7, 1966,Kafkalas was named commanding general of the 28th Infantry Division on April 24, 1967. He received his promotion to major general on lec. 19. 1968. From July 1968 toMay 1972. he served concdt-rently as commandingneral ol the 28th and as puly adjutant general for Army for the PANG.Named acting adjutant general of Pennsylvania in March 1977. Kafkalas was sworn in as the state's 47th adjutant general on April 28. 1977. On May 12, 1977. after commanding the 28th Infantry Division for more than 10 years, he relinquished command of the division to devote hrs full attention to his duties as adjutant general.Wiln Lhe expiration of his tenure as adjutant general on Jan. 16. 1979, Kafkalas continued in a military capacity as director of the State Area Command for the Guard. He held that position until last monthA graduate of the Army War College and the Com mand and General Staff College, Kafkalas earned numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal. Silver Star with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal with two Silver Stars, Maryland Distinguished Sendee Cross. National Guard Association of the United States Distinguished Service Medal, and Combat Infantryman Badge.Kafkalas. a graduate of Monessen High School and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kafkalas, is married to the former AngelinaCroussouloudis of Monessen. They reside in Camp Hill and are the parents of two children — a son, Peter, a captain in the U.S. Army, and a daughter, Ellen.Contrasting testimony
Newspaper Details
Monessen Valley Independent
Monessen, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Sep 13, 1980
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Duayne F.
USA 22 Apr 2017
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