A Tribute to a Daedalian Life Member

Steve Pisanos used a merchant ship to work his way to the United States where he promptly fled his ship and made his way to New York City in an effort to achieve his ambition of becoming a pilot. With no money, prospects or even command of the English language, what happened next personifies the typical ?Coming to America? legend.

The film, The Mettle Behind the Merit, is an episode of the internationally acclaimed video series, Old Guys and Their Airplanes. Steve Pisanos went on to become a fighter ace, Royal Air Force Eagle Squadron member, French Resistance fighter and the first person to be made an American citizen on foreign soil.

The film is sponsored by Calamos Investments and The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Society. Steve was awarded four DFCs for heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial combat during WWII and a fifth DFC for heroism in the Vietnam War.

?Our mission is to bring these great stories to greater audiences,? stated Bruce Huffman, Chairman of the Board for the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. ?You can?t watch this film and not be inspired to reach higher, no matter your circumstances.?

The Premiere is open to the public. Members of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society, John Calamos, Steve Pisanos? son, Jefferey Pisanos, film Producer John Mollison and Editor Dalton Coffey will also be present.

For more information on the event, please contact: Helene Genetos, National Hellenic Society Museum, HGenetos@hellenicmuseum.org, 317-439-1484 or Bruce Huffman, Distinguished Flying Cross Society, bhuffman@dfcsociety.org, 518-578-7089 For ticketing, go to: https://www.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/event/steve-pisanos-story/.