George E. Ghecas Photograph

As a PGA gold professional, Ghecas (1921-1992) brought his innovative golf instruction techniques to winter and spring golf classes at the War Memorial for 30 years. He founded the WAMEGO (War Memorial Golf Association) whose members referred to him as “Danbury’s Slammin’ Sammy Snead”. His greatest joy in teaching golf was introducing beginners to the game. He was a PGA professional for 35 years and was the pro and manager of the Sedgewood Club in Carmel, NY, one of the east coast’s oldest golf courses, where his course record 59 stands today.

Ghecas grew up in Danbury, attended Georgetown University and served in the US Army during World War II as a demolition expert with the Office of Strategic Services. He spent time in Egypt where he trained agents for work in occupied countries, and later parachuted behind enemy lines into Greece, where he organized guerrilla forces against Germans on the island of Corfu for 11 months until the country’s liberation.

Following WWII, Ghecas fought with the monarchist forces during the Greek Civil War, and in 1950 he trained Korean soldiers in hand-to-hand combat and demolitions on Catalina Island, California in preparation for the Korean Conflict. He received many ribbons and commendations for his service. He served as War Memorial President in 1972-1974