Biography

Tsermegas, Steve (ΤΣΕΡΜΕΓΚΑΣ, ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΣ; Tsermenkes, Stephanos); b. August 31, 1903, Mavrato in Ikaria (Island of Samos), Greece, Emigrated from Greece in 1921, Egypt, France then to US; Greek American; Father Demetri Tsermegas, Mother Argiri Mougiani; Elementary education; Greek Army, 7th Division, 3 years; Single; Cook and Food Worker (member of the Food Industry Workers Union from 1927); CP 1931 (1932), Dist. Bureau Greek dept. Spartacus Club, Food Workers Industrial Union; Arrived in Spain on January 3 (6), 1937; Trained with the 2nd BN of Instruction, Tarazona; Served with the XV BDE, Lincoln BN and Lincoln-Washington BN, initially in Sanidad then with the Machine gun company, Section Leader; Last posting as staff officer in Estado Mayor; Served at Jarama, WIA, Belchite, Aragon, Teruel and Retreats, and the Ebro Offensive; WIA shrapnel; Rank Teniente; Noted for excellent work during the Retreats; Returned to the US as a stowaway on September 21, 1938 aboard the Normandie; Arrested on December 12, 1953 for deportation; He was in jail until September; His appeal for habeas corpus was dismissed by a Federal Appeals Court in March. He was deported on October 1, 1954 and flew to Europe by airplane; d. December 16, 1992, Poland; Published a memoir of his time in Spain;

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Sources: Cadre; Lincoln, RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 421, ll. 16-39; RGASPI Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 572, ll. 72 (fiche); Opis 6, Delo 1004, ll. 30-36; Greek I, South Slav, D. Paleologopoulos Greek Antifascist Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), Athens 1986; Steve Tsermegas and L. Tsirmirakes, No Pasaran. Greek Antifascist Volunteers in Spain, Athens 1987.

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Photograph: Lieutenant Steve Tsermengas, XV Brigade Estado Mayor, March 1938. The 15th International Brigade Photographic Unit Photograph Collection; ALBA Photo 11; ALBA Photo number 11-0964. Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives. Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries; and Fond 545, Opis 6, Delo 421.

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