Nickname(s) "pit bull" Books Thieves of Baghdad Role Author | Name Matthew Bogdanos | |
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Years of service 1980-88, 2001-05, 2009-10 (active)1988-2001, 2006-08, 2011-present (reserve) Battles/wars Operation Desert StormOperation Enduring FreedomOperation Iraqi Freedom Battles and wars Gulf War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War | ||
Greeks gone west matthew bogdanos
Colonel Matthew Bogdanos is an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan (since 1988), author, and a colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. In 2003, while on active duty in the Marine Corps, he led an investigation into the looting of Iraq's National Museum, and was subsequently awarded the National Humanities Medal for his efforts. He had previously gained national attention for the prosecution of Sean Combs, who was acquitted of weapons and bribery charges in a 2001 trial stemming from a 1999 nightclub shootout.
Contents
- Greeks gone west matthew bogdanos
- Education
- Biography
- Personal life
- Military awards
- Other awards
- Publications
- References
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Greeks gone west matthew bogdanos
Education
Bogdanos attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School in New Jersey and later Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. He holds a bachelor's in classical studies from Bucknell and a degree in law from Columbia University Law School. He also has a master's degree in Classical Studies from Columbia University and another Master's in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.
Biography
Bogdanos is one of a set of twins born and raised in New York to parents who had immigrated from Greece. Growing up he waited tables in his parents' Greek restaurant in lower Manhattan.
Bogdanos enlisted into the United States Marine Corps Reserve in January 1977, while still a freshman. In 1988 he resigned from active duty to join the Manhattan district attorney's office. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Bogdanos returned to full-time active duty.
Bogdanos has been involved in counter-narcotics action on the Mexico–United States border and was active during Operation Desert Storm and in South Korea, Lithuania, Guyana, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kosovo. In 2001 he was part of a law enforcement, counter-terrorism team to Afghanistan, where he was awarded a Bronze Star for actions against Al-Qaeda. In March 2003 he was promoted to colonel and deployed to Iraq as head of the team. During his stint in Iraq, the Iraq Museum in Baghdad was sacked and thousands of valuable antiquities were stolen. For over five years Bogdanos led a team to recover the artifacts. Up to 2006 approximately 10000 artifacts were recovered through his efforts. Antiquities recovered include the Warka Vase and The Mask of Warka. Bogdanos wrote a memoir, Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine's Passion for Ancient Civilizations and the Journey to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures, which he co-wrote with William Patrick. The book chronicles his efforts to recover the missing Iraqi artifacts. In November 2005, he was awarded a National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush for his efforts to recover the artifacts. He has also received the 2004 Public Service Award from the Hellenic Lawyers of America, the 2006 Distinguished Leadership Award from the Washington DC Historical Society, and a 2007 Proclamation from the City of New York, among other awards. Deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 with NATO counter-insurgency forces, he was released back into the Marine Reserves in September 2010 and returned to the District Attorney’s Office.
Bogdanos is also a former middleweight boxer with a record of 23-3. He still boxes for the New York City Police Department’s Widows and Children’s Fund.
Personal life
Bogdanos is married and has four children with his wife, Claudia.
Military awards
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