The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-05-05
HAWAII Greek
TELLs0FVIAR
IN BALKANS .
George Geracinos Graphicaily
Depicts Hardships and vidissi-
thdes Through Which Armies
Passed Twice Promoted in
Rank for valor On Battleheid
-All Realized That Fights
Were to Finish.

A veteran Of two wars and not yet
twenty-scyen years Of age, George
Gcracimos returned to Honolulu yes
tcriay morning by the steamer sierra
after an absence OF a little less than
eighteen months from Hawaii.
1T certainly does me good to find
myself again in Hawaii said Gesac,
limos yesterday Greece Is beaati-
full country, but have lived too long
in Hawaii TO have real aloha for any
other than the Paradise of the Pact
fc. IL is true that I went through
two wars, as fierce and sangninary as
any related in history, but / was for.
innate In living through them with
out a scratch, all the hardship / suf-
fered being such as falls to the lot Of
the average soldicSy
Geracimos left Honoluh@ on Novem-
Der 2S, 1912. and arrived in Greece on
January 10 following. He enlisted as
a private Eve days later and was as.
signed to the First Regiment Of the
First Infantry Division OF the Greek
Army. With other recruits the Homo.
lulan was twenty FIVE days in camp
being put through the regulation drill
instruction. His regiment was then
sent TO the front, to Espirus, and be-
fore the fortified walls Of the old
Turkish fortress Of Janina, Geracintos
and his comrades in arms saw much
fighting against the armies OF the
Crescent.
Losses Heavy on Both sides.
y After Geracimos' arrival at Jahina
the Greek army was engaged in daily
assaults on the great fortress for a
month, the Turks finally surrendering
to the Hellenic forces. This was one
Of the most bloody battles Of the Bal
kan war with Turkey, the Greeks los
ing 5000 killed and 1000 wounded in
the final successful assault on the Turk I,
ish position The Turks lost in killed
and wounded upward Of 10000 men,
10000 surrendering as prisoners Of war,
The Greeks, captured also l35 pieces Of
artillery. ~
s"My first experiebee aS Soldier was,
] believe, that which befaIls the man
who enlists and goes out to battle
When first got under fire I was nat.
urally extremely nervous, Tut as we
warmed up to our work fear and pos.
sible consequences seemed to slip away
from me- After that the work grew
on me so naturally that to fight seemed
no greater task than to sit down to
eat, said Geracimos.,
1--WE had some tough times before
Janina. The snow was from fifteen to
twenty inches thick, and we slept on
IL with but thin army blanket for
protection. That was all the covering
we had. Say, but it Is good TO lie back
in Honolulu" said Geracirnos as he
got busy with savory. piece of por-
terhouse at the Union Grill last night.
Advanced in Rank.
After tho taking Of Janina from the
Turks, Geracimos was made a corporal.
From Janina he went with the Greek
division which was sent on TO Salonilka.
The war with Turkey was still on. but
already there were forebodings Of pos.
sible war with the Bulgarian allies.
Tho young Honolulan & division re-
mained at Salonika from March to
June, and when he saw his next battle
the Greeks and Bulgars were enemies
instead Of allies. Geracimos was in
Salonika when the Bulgarians first at
tackled the Greeks. From the start the
Hellenic troops were victorious against
their former allies The situation was
a tickfish one for the Greeks, for the
Turks were still a factor to be reckoned
with. aa
King Constantine, who succeeded his
father, King George, after the latter 4
in Salonika, made tell.
ing appeal torthe Greek troops. Che
told US that we had to fight 10 the
death, said Geraeimos. cit was TO
be a war to the finish, for 1T the Bull.
gars won il would mean eventually the
wiping out Of Greece as an independent
nation. The Greeks fought with des-
and the God Of Battle gave
us victory right along.
5& One OF Greatest Battles.
"The battle Of Kilkish, between the
nrmtesof Greece and Bulgaria., was one
OF the greatest in history and certainly.
the grentest in modern times, said Ge-
raciiios ''Ovcr battlefront of thirty
miles the armies opposed and fought
each other, 100000 strong on each side. !
It was terrible. We fought for fifty.
eight hours without chance to eat,
smoke, drink or sleep.
"lt was a fight to the finish and
when we finally drove the fierce Bull
CARS back IN defeat our soldiers cap
tured 295 pieces Of artillery at the point
Of the bayonet Our losses were $4,000 !
in killed aud wounded. The loss of the
Bulgarians was greater than ours, but
u Is hard to say just what ii was for
the Bulgars carried their dead and
wounded with them In their retreat.
Dur troops captured 1000 Bulgars who
were held as prisoners Of war. y
The yoAng Honolulan was in six other
angagements-iiH the battle Of Dioiani,
.lresna, simeltly, Chumaja and Others.
He was made sergeant after the bat
tle Of Gresna. OF the remaining bat.
les that of ehumaja was the bloodiest
ind hardest fought. Four times the
trecks attacked the Bnlgarian position
md drove the enemy before them and |
y often the Bulgarians reoccupied
heir old positions to be forced out for