Service: MARINE CORPS
Component: ACTIVE DUTY
Name: XIARHOS, NICHOLAS GEORGE
Rank: CPL
Pay Grade: E04
Date of Death: 2009/07/23
Age: 21
Gender: MALE
Home of Record City: YARMOUTH PORT
Home of Record State: MA
Home of Record Country: US
Unit: WPNS CO, 2D BN, 8TH MAR, (2D MEB FWD), 2D MAR DIV, CAMP LEJEUNE, NC
Incident Geographic Code: AF
Casualty Geographic Code: AF
Casualty Country: AFGHANISTAN
City of Loss: CAMP DWYER
Burial Location:
Massachusetts National Cemetery
Connery Ave
Buzzards Bay, MA 02542
Sec 41 Site 1459
Casualty Release:
DoD Identifies Marine Casualties No. 549-09
Obituary:
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Nicholas George Xiarhos, 21, died of wounds suffered during combat operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Nicholas was severely wounded by a roadside bomb. He fought courageously for his life before finally succumbing to his wounds despite the gallant effort of those treating him.
Nicholas was born on Feb. 12, 1988, in Hyannis. He is the first child and first son of Yarmouth Police Lt. Steven Xiarhos and his wife Lisa Xiarhos of Yarmouthport. His siblings are Alexander, 19, and his twin sisters, Ashlynne and Elizabeth, 15.
Nicholas attended Yarmouth schools and played Yarmouth Little League baseball with the Athletics. In 2005, he completed the Massachusetts State Police Junior Trooper Academy with honors. In June 2006, he graduated from Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School, where he was selected to be a Student Ambassador and played baseball and football with the D-Y Dolphins.
His family, friends, teachers, and coaches remember him as a kind-hearted, selfless person who went out of his way to help others. He was affectionately nicknamed “The Mayor of D-Y” due to his outgoing personality, popularity, and ability to get along with everyone. In their senior year, his classmates presented him with the title “Does Most For Others.” Nicholas enjoyed music — particularly hard rock, playing videos games, driving his Jeep, and especially spending time with his family and friends.
Nicholas had an enduring passion about serving his country and joining the military, which was heightened by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Nine days after graduating from high school, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps Boot Camp at Parris Island in South Carolina, where he was selected to be a Squad Leader. On Sept. 22, 2006, he earned the title of U.S. Marine.
Nicholas entered his first tour of duty in Iraq’s Anbar province as a member of the historic 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment (1/9), nicknamed “The Walking Dead.” 1/9 was responsible for all security missions in that area and was divided into Police Transition Teams (PTT) that worked directly with Iraqi police.
The lives of Nicholas and 49 other Marines and Iraqi police officers were saved in April 2008 when Marine Cpl. Jonathan Yale of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines (2/8) and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter of 1/9 stood in the path of a suicide bomber’s truck and prevented it from entering the Marine outpost in Ramadi, Iraq. The two Marines gave their lives for the “Fortunate Fifty.” Nicholas and his family were honored to attend the special ceremony at the Museum of the Marine Corps where Jonathan’s and Jordan’s sacrifices were recognized by the presentation of the Navy Cross Award for Valor, the highest award given by the Navy, to their families.
Nicholas rose conventionally from Private First Class to Lance Corporal and in March 2009 he was meritoriously promoted to Corporal.
When he learned that fellow Marine and D-Y classmate Cpl. Andrew Coville of Yarmouthport was deploying for battle in Afghanistan, Nicholas left 1/9 to fight alongside Andrew — and to honor the battalions of Jordan and Jonathan.
Nicholas personally met President Obama at Camp Lejeune in 2009 when the President gave a speech to the thousands of Marines preparing to deploy for war in Afghanistan with his historic 10,000-member Marine Expeditionary Brigade as a renewed offensive against Taliban insurgents. President Obama spoke of great sacrifices, stating, in part: “Each of you has your own story. And that story is now a part of the history of the United States of America — a nation that exists only because free men and women have bled for it from the beaches of Normandy to the deserts of Anbar; from the mountains of Korea to the streets of Kandahar. You teach us that the price of freedom is great. Your sacrifice should challenge all of us — every single American — to ask what we can do to be better citizens.”
At the time of his death on July 23, 2009, Nicholas was an Infantry Assaultman Shoulder Launched Multi-Purpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) Gunner, Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) Gunner, and Squad Leader with 2nd Battalion — known as “America’s Battalion” — of the 8th Marine Regiment Weapons Company based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. During his three years of service, Corporal Xiarhos earned a Meritorious Mast Award for Outstanding Performance, Good Conduct Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Combat Action Ribbon, Naval Unit Citation, and will be awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.
Nicholas is predeceased by his grandparents, Olga and George Xiarhos of New Bedford. He is survived by his grandparents, Joyce and John Ratcliffe of South Yarmouth; eight aunts and uncles, Carolyn Bishop, Brenda and Mark Gilbert, Donna Ratcliffe, Laurie and Phil Simonian, and Patricia and Mark Verronneau, all of Massachusetts; and by eight cousins, Nathan Bishop of California, Neil Bishop of Florida, and Nicholas Bishop, Stephen Piontowski, Emily Simonian, Jessica Simonian, Alyssa Verronneau, and Steven Verronneau, all of Massachusetts.
Nicholas was a peacemaker who chose to make a difference and protect people in need all over the world. When he last spoke with his mother two weeks ago from Afghanistan his last words were “Don’t worry about me Mom … I’m living the dream.” Nicholas is now joining his grandparents and fellow fallen Marines on their next mission of guarding the gates of heaven.
The Marine Corps will be bringing Nicholas home to his family on Wednesday, July 29. Beginning about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nicholas will be escorted with honor east along Route 28 from Hyannis to the “four corners” at its intersections with North Main and Main Streets in South Yarmouth. The cortege will continue the length of Station Avenue and Union Street to Route 6A, then pass his beloved family home in Yarmouthport.
Nicholas will lie in repose at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School on Thursday, July 30, from 4 to 8 p.m.
His funeral will be held on Friday, at 10 a.m., at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Centerville.
Nicholas will be buried with full military honors at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne on Friday, at 1:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the Xiarhos family suggests donations to the scholarship fund established in Nicholas’s name by the Yarmouth Police Relief Association (YPRA). Donations can be sent to the Yarmouth Police Department – Attention: YPRA, 1 Brad Erickson Way, West Yarmouth, MA 02673, and should be labeled: Nicholas George Xiarhos Scholarship Fund.
Video:
Bill H.4156
187th (2011 – 2012)
An Act designating a certain overpass in the town of Yarmouth as the Marine Corporal Nicholas G. Xiarhos Veterans Memorial Overpass
The committee on Transportation, reports, on House, No. 3966, a Bill designating a certain overpass in the town of Yarmouth as the Marine Corporal Nicholas G. Xiarhos Veterans Memorial Overpass (House, No. 4156). June 6, 2012. William M. Straus, for the committee.
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the overpass on state highway Route 6 spanning North Dennis Road in the Town of Yarmouth shall be designated and known as the Marine Corporal Nicholas G. Xiarhos Veterans Memorial Overpass in honor and recognition of Marine Corporal Nicholas G. Xiarhos and all other Cape Cod and Islands residents who served with distinction in the United States armed forces. The department of highways shall erect and maintain suitable markers bearing such designation in compliance with the standards of the department.