Fishers veteran honored for sacrifice with all expenses paid trip to New York

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — A veteran residing in Hamilton County was selected to receive the experience of a lifetime honoring his military sacrifice.

U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (HM2) George Stavropoulos, a four-time Purple Heart recipient and Fishers resident, was elected as Indiana’s representative for the National Purple Heart Honor Mission’s Patriot Project.

The program provides all expenses paid trips to New York for nominated veterans, providing tours of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the historic Washington Headquarters, and a special tour of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

Project organizers selected Stavropoulos nearly six decades after Stavropoulos, a California native, enlisted in the service in the Navy in 1965.

Stavropoulos was deployed to Vietnam, where he was wounded in April 1967. He was injured the following month in a mortar attack. In July 1967, he endured gunshot and shrapnel wounds during a large ambush at the beginning of Operation Buffalo.

Following the Navy, Stavropoulos served Newport Beach in law enforcement and later as a DOJ investigator.

The Purple Heart Patriot Project said in a release he currently serves fellow veterans as a member of the Fishers Armed Services Commission.

Along with his Purple Heart and three bronze stars, Stavropoulos was awarded numerous medals, including the Silver Star Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and more.

“My service taught me the meaning of commitment, discipline, sacrifice for others, teamwork, and pride in what you do,” Stavropoulos said in the release.

According to the release, Stavropoulos is part of the project’s 2023 class of veterans who served in World War II, the Vietnam War, Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and other conflicts. Members of the group represent all branches of the service and range from 37 to 100 years old.