The Marlborough
Historical Society

    Miltiades was born the 4th of December 1923 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, the youngest son of Costas and Evangeline Gikas.  He was a graduate of the Worcester Trade School and made his home with his parents at 5 Dow Place in Marlborough.  Milty enlisted into the Army Air Corps the 21st of January 1943.  Following his initial basic training he completed more training in Miami, Florida, Denver, Colorado and received his gunnery training at Harlingen Field in Texas.  Upon completion of his training in Texas he was promoted to Sergeant.

    He was assigned to the 712th Bombardment Squadron, 448th Bombardment Group. The 712th arrived in England in November of 1943 and was billeted at Seething, England located near Norwich, England.  Milty arrived in December and shortly afterwards the squadron began bombing missions over Germany.  Milty was twice awarded an Air Medal and completed over 25 bombing missions over Europe. 

    On the 20th of march 1944 while serving as a tail gunner on a B-24 on a mission to bomb Frankfurt, Germany the aircraft was hit by flak and broke up near Dieppe, France. The co-pilot was the only survivor of a crew of ten. His name is memorialized on the tablet of the missing at the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. Gikas Lane in Marlborough is named in his honor.

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