Vet served in combat intelligence
Trending
WARREN -- A Warren Marine Corps veteran who served in intelligence overseas later returned home to spend more than 60 years as a pharmacist.
Frank Manios, 90, said after high school, he was a student at the University of Pittsburgh in 1953 when the draft was activated. He was 20 at the time.
"I and a friend, Mike Skopos, who was at Kent State, knew we were going to be called in early 1953 for the Army. We both joined the military together because of the draft. I had read about the Army having trouble in Korea. I also read about the Marines and what they did, and that impressed me a lot. I liked the idea they took care of everyone so I enlisted with the Marines," Manios said.
In August 1953, Manios and Skopos, who is also now 90, were sent to Parris Island, S.C., for 10 weeks of Marine Corps basic training.
"There is a lot of physical and mental training. Then we both were assigned to Camp Lejeune (N.C.) and then I went to the infantry of the Sixth Marines. I was pulled from the infantry and put in intelligence. I think they did this because I had a good IQ and spoke fluent Greek and knew French. I could also type," Manios said.
He said the Marines had a machine gun company and an air wing and tank corps stationed overseas.
"The Korean War was still going on then. There was a machine gun company assigned to us overnight. I was assigned the maps of southeast Asia and had secret clearance. We had the maps so if anyone needed them, they had access to them," Manios said.
He said he traveled all over the Mediterranean, including Turkey, Spain, Italy and Greece, and Iran and Algiers.
"I visited some of my relatives in Greece and they gave me a tin of three pounds of honey. They welded and sealed the jar together. I took the honey with me to the bakery to get bread. I passed out bread and honey to everyone on the ship. What happened was some of the honey got stuck on the ship's deck. It was sticky all over. There was a call made that whoever brought the honey on board had to go see the captain. I was told to go clean it up," Manios said.
He said he received rubber boat training -- working from the boats with those who went underwater as part of demolition teams. He also did observations from the beaches.
"We did amphibious landings and that is when we used the rubber boats," he said.
Manios said each day included amphibious training, compass marches in Turkey and Sardinia, and other drills. He also worked as a translator in Greece because he learned Greek at home.
"Everywhere we went, we were treated well. I remember walking through Turkey on patrol by myself. There was a Turkish man lying down on a cot and he got up and gave me his cot. He told me to lay down. They showed us hospitality and treated us well," he said.
Manios said he remembers all the poppy flowers he saw growing in the fields.
"I thought it was kind of neat. I had never seen it before," he said.
Manios said he tries to stay in touch with others he served with. He said the men are all in their late 80s and early 90s and are scattered across the nation.
After the military, Manios went back to the University of Pittsburgh and became a pharmacist in 1957.
"I have enjoyed this profession," Manios said.
He still works at Franklin Pharmacy in Warren.
"I always felt good about serving my country. I am glad I served," Manios said.
His brother, Michael, served in the Navy. His older stepbrother, Emmanuel, was in the Navy and landed on Normandy on D-Day. They are both deceased.
"When I look back on my military career, it had many happy and proud moments that I will always remember," he said.
Frank Manios
AGE: 90
RESIDENCE: Warren
SERVICE BRANCH: U.S. Marines 1953-1955, corporal private first class in combat intelligence
MILITARY HONORS: Combat Intelligence Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Navy Occupation Ribbon and Overseas Service Medal
FAMILY: Wife, Mary; two daughters; one son; several grandchildren