Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, presents William and Tina Kell with Pvt. John Yianitsas’ World War II Victory Medal during a ceremony last month at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lewiston. Contributed photo

LEWISTON — Pvt. John Yianitsas was just 19 years old in 1945 when he died in Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge.

Yianitsas’ body was never recovered after the World War II battle, but the Massachusetts soldier is honored with a white cross at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Plombieres, Belgium. Devastated by the news, the family never held a formal ceremony or funeral to celebrate his short life.

Pvt. John Yianitsas, who died during World War II at the Battle of the Bulge, was honored recently for his sacrifice during a ceremony in Lewiston. Contributed photo

Decades later, Yianitsas’ uncle, William Kell, who lives in Lewiston, and Kell’s daughter and Yianitsas cousin, Dr. Tina Kell, reached out to Sen. Susan Collins’ office in 2023 to ask about his military records and any medals not received.

Melissa Landry, who works for Collins, reached out to the National Personnel Records Center to confirm his military service. Yianitsas should have received a Purple Heart and the World War II Victory Medal.

“Awarding Pvt. John Yianitsas with the Purple Heart and World War II Victory Medal is a long overdue acknowledgement of his bravery and valor,” Collins said in a statement. “While we can never fully repay the debt we owe John and his fellow service members, we can preserve their legacies by ensuring that their achievements and sacrifices are never forgotten.”

Yianitsas was born Sept. 1, 1925, in Revere, Massachusetts, and enlisted into the Army on Nov. 19, 1943, in Boston at age 18. He was a member of 327th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, known as the Screaming Eagles.

The Purple Heart and World War II Victory Medal are displayed alongside a letter from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins that were presented recently to the family of Pvt. John Yianitsas, who died during World War II in the Battle of the Bulge. Contributed photo

Landry organized a formal ceremony at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lewiston on July 19 with the Maine Air National Guard, which provided an honor guard and presented the Kell family with an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in Yianitsas’ honor.

Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, and Command Sgt. Maj. Alexander Clifford presented the Kell family with Yianitsas’ Purple Heart and World War II Victory Medal.

“We are extraordinarily honored to be a part of recognizing Pvt. Yianitsas’ sacrifice for our country,” Dunn said in a statement. “He paid the highest price a nation can ask, and we are proud to finally give his family the closure and recognition they deserve.”