My life has exceeded many expectations. The success that I have enjoyed as an American citizen is a direct result of my experiences during World War II.

Therefore, it is only fitting that I pay tribute and dedicate this book to the three most influential people in my life: my brother and exemplary role model, George Doundoulakis, whose courage never faltered, my incomparable friend, Patrick Leigh Fermor, whose display of bravery I tried to emulate, and most significantly, my beloved wife Rita, to whom my heart owes a perpetual debt of gratitude.