UAV posts active on local level (08/15/04)

UKRAINIAN AMERICAN VETERANS: Active in our communities

UAV posts active on local level

Post 17, Clifton, N.J.: A week after Easter, members of Post 17, along with colleagues from Posts 27 and 30, participated in St. Thomas Sunday services at St. Andrew's Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in South Bound Brook, N.J. They formed an honor guard at the cemetery's monument to all Ukrainian veterans, where Archbishop Antony and many members of the clergy conducted a panakhyda (memorial service).

On May 30, the entire post gathered at Lakeview Cemetery next to the Ukrainian veterans' monument for a requiem service offered by local clergy and a brief military ceremony. State Assemblyman Peter Eagler joined the post to pay respects to his fallen comrades.

Post 24, Cleveland: On Memorial Day, post members attended a service and a program at Cleveland City Hall, Parma's Veterans Center and the local cemetery. U.S. flags were placed by post members on all veterans' graves at St. Andrew's Cemetery and at Pokrova Cemetery.

The post also is involved with other veterans groups in taking disabled veterans to mass on the first Sunday of each month and afterwards for coffee and doughnuts.

Post 24, Cleveland, and Post 28, Akron, Ohio: Members of these two UAV posts attended the "Four Chaplains" commemoration at the Tallmadge Community Center in Akron on February 7. The annual ceremony recalls the heroism of chaplains aboard the Dorchester who gave up their life vests to other troops as the ship was sinking on February 3, 1943. Six hundred men were lost, but the four chaplains are credited with saving over 200 lives.
Post 25, Trenton, N.J.: Post members participated in the Armed Forces Day ceremony at Mercer County Park in Hamilton, N.J., as well as in the Memorial Day service at Greenwood Cemetery. A week before the ceremony, post members placed flags at Riverview Cemetery, in accordance with their responsibility as an integral part of the Mercer County Veterans Council.
Post 30, Holmdel, N.J.: Every year since the official opening of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in 1995, UAV Post 30 members have honored New Jersey Vietnam veterans, among them Ukrainian Americans, whose names are among the nearly 1,600 engraved in stone on the memorial. Special tribute has always been paid to the patron of UAV Post 30, Maj. Myron Diduryk (U.S. Army), who was killed by a sniper in Vietnam on April 24, 1970, during his second tour of duty.

The post is seeking information about Ukrainian Americans for the biographical data being compiled by the Vietnam Era Educational Center at the memorial. The post is specifically searching for information about Bohdan Kowal, Mikolaj Melnyk, George M. Smyrychynski, Nicholas Szawaluk and Julius Zaporozec, including others who may not be known to the post. Readers may e-mail uav.post30@worldnet.att.net or write to: UAV Post 30, P.O. Box 172, Holmdel, NJ 07733-0172.

Post 31, Boston: Post members were among the veterans' groups participating in Memorial Day events in their city.

In addition, the post's members served as an honor guard for the Ukrainian American Youth Association's (SUM) "Heroes' Day" commemoration.

Post 32, Chicago: In commemoration of Armed Forces Day, the post attended liturgy at St. Nicholas Church on Sunday, May 16.

A week later the post members served as an honor guard and participated in a program at St. Andrew's Church honoring the memory of Symon Petliura.

Post 35, Palatine, Ill.: The village of Palatine celebrated Flag Day on June 13, which also happened to be the U.S. Army's birthday. Post Commander Roman G. Golash participated in the ceremony by reading a letter from a soldier serving in Iraq.

Named in honor of 1st Lt. Ivan Shandor, the post supports the efforts of the Yellow Ribbon Group, which sends out care packages to American soldiers overseas.

Post 40, North Port, Fla.: In May the post held a very successful luncheon meeting at the Olde World Restaurant that was attended by more than 50 members and guests. The guest speaker was newspaper columnist and author Don Moore, author of the recently published book "War Tales." Two member of the armed forces of Ukraine, Maj. Oleksiy Andriushyn and Capt. Maksym Pihan, members of Ukraine's liaison team with the U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., were special guests at the event. The post is named in honor of Roman F. Lazor.

The post also participated in the traditional panakhyda at the local Ukrainian Catholic church and in the community's Memorial Day service at Veterans' Park. The color guard of Post 40, as well as the Ladies Auxiliary also took part. In attendance were two representatives of Ukraine's Embassy in Washington: Consul General Yakiv Pyrih and Vice-Consul Oleksii Sviatun.

Post 101, Mich.: Members attended Memorial Day services at St. Josaphat Church. Due to inclement weather, the panakhyda was held indoors. Post members served as flag-bearers during the ceremony. A luncheon was held immediately afterwards.
Post 301, Yonkers, N.Y.: The post annually participates in the decoration of graves throughout Yonkers, and this year post members attended the Memorial Day Parade in front of City Hall in Yonkers and the reception afterwards that honored Grand Marshall Herbert Blum. The post also attends all the meetings of the Central Committee Veterans' Organization, which is responsible for organizing veterans' activities for the Mayor of Yonkers.

A notable event this year was the mayor's presentation of a posthumous Purple Heart to World War I Ukrainian American veteran John Shutovech. The medal was given to his daughter Katarina Kurilla, who attends St. Michael's Ukrainian Church in Yonkers. Ms. Kurilla's children and grandchildren also attended the reception.

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