Among the nearly 9,400 American service members buried at the Normandy American Cemetery in France is Private First Class Christos Dafnoulelis, a Greek-American soldier from Somerville, Massachusetts, who was killed in action on June 22, 1944, just 12 days after his regiment landed on Utah Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy.
By John Dekhane
Dafnoulelis was only 23 years old when he died during the American advance toward the strategic French port of Cherbourg. His military service, documented by Boston University, the US Army and France’s Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église, offers a personal account of the contribution made by Americans of Greek descent to the liberation of Europe during World War II.
Born in Boston on April 15, 1921, Dafnoulelis was the son of Greek immigrants Nicholas and Efterpi Dafnoulelis. He grew up at 8 Kensington Avenue in Somerville, where his family maintained its connection to its Greek heritage while building a new life in the United States. A successful student, he became a member of the National Honor Society and subsequently attended Boston University, pursuing studies in business.
The university’s official World War II memorial identifies him as a member of its Class of 1943, although his education was interrupted by military service. He enlisted in the US Army on February 16, 1942, and eventually joined the 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division.
From Somerville to the battlefields of Normandy
Dafnoulelis arrived in France during one of the most important military operations of World War II. Following the Allied landings on June 6, 1944, American forces sought to secure the Cotentin Peninsula and capture Cherbourg, a major deep-water port essential for supplying the advancing armies.
According to the US Army Center of Military History, the 9th Infantry Division landed at Utah Beach on June 10, four days after D-Day. A historical account maintained by the Army Medical Department confirms that the division’s main body came ashore that day before moving into assembly areas near Sainte-Mère-Église.
The 47th Infantry Regiment subsequently advanced across the Cotentin Peninsula, encountering German resistance as American forces attempted to isolate Cherbourg and prevent enemy reinforcements from reaching the port.
By June 20, the 4th, 9th and 79th Infantry Divisions had begun attacking Cherbourg’s outer defenses. German troops occupied fortified positions and elevated terrain overlooking the approaches to the city, forcing American infantry to advance under difficult combat conditions.
Dafnoulelis was killed on June 22, as his division participated in these operations. The Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église identifies Dafnoulelis by military service number 11080006 and records two significant American decorations: the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States, while the Purple Heart recognizes service members wounded or killed as a result of enemy action.
Five days after his death, on June 27, German forces surrendered Cherbourg to the Americans.
A family’s loss and a permanent tribute in France
News of Dafnoulelis’ death reached his parents in Massachusetts, ending the hopes they had held for their son’s return. According to a family account of his story, their grief was complicated by an unexpected telephone call from an unidentified young man who claimed that Christos was alive and had been captured by German forces.
The report briefly raised hopes that the original notification had been mistaken. However, the information proved false, and the family was forced to confront the confirmation of his death. The episode has been preserved in accounts of his life, although it has not been independently verified through military correspondence.
Dafnoulelis was initially buried at the temporary American military cemetery at Sainte-Mère-Église. His remains were subsequently transferred to the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, overlooking Omaha Beach.
Records maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission and reproduced in French historical databases establish his burial location as Plot F, Row 23, Grave 18.
The cemetery contains 9,389 American war dead, most of whom were killed during the Normandy landings and subsequent military operations. Another 1,557 service members are commemorated on its Walls of the Missing.
Dafnoulelis’ parents remained in Massachusetts. His father died in 1961, while his mother lived until 1995, reaching the age of 100. Both were buried at Belmont Cemetery.
His name is also preserved on Boston University’s World War II Honor Wall, which commemorates members of the university community who lost their lives during the conflict.
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