Ukrainian-American Military Association established in Chicago (11/03/96)

Ukrainian-American Military Association established in Chicago

by Leonid Kondratiuk

CHICAGO - The Ukrainian-American Military Association was established here during a conference concerning "The Evolving Relationship Between Ukrainian and United States Armed Forces."

Held on September 28-29 at the Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church's Cultural Center in Chicago, the conference was attended by some 35 officers and noncommissioned officers from the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, U.S. Naval Reserve, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, all of Ukrainian descent.

Along with 60 interested members of the community, they listened to four presentations and discussed the relationship between the U.S. and the Ukrainian armed forces.

The keynote speaker was Maj. Gen. Nicholas Krawciw (ret.), who is the U.S. Department of Defense senior military representative to Ukraine. He discussed recent U.S.-Ukrainian military exercises, designated Peace Shield 95 and 96, as well as the growth of closer working military relations between the two countries at the Department of Defense and Ministry of Defense level and at the unit level.

Lt. Col. Leonid Kondratiuk spoke about the 200-year history of Ukrainian Americans serving in the U.S. military as well as U.S. Army operations in Ukraine after World War I and during World War II.

Lt. Col. Yaro Oryshkevych spoke about the landmark U.S. military medical mission to Ukraine which took place in September 1993, while Sgt. Maj. Daniel Zahody spoke about Ukrainian language training in the U.S. military and the role of Ukrainian Americans in special operations.

A panel of U.S. military Ukrainian interpreters, Lt. Col. Myroslaw Malaniak, Lt. Col. Inia Yevich, Lt. Ihor Kobryn and Sgt. Peter Lysenko, discussed their experiences as interpreters during various joint exercises. One of the concerns that was voiced is the planned closing of Ukrainian language training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.

Also in attendance were Lt.Col. Volodymyr Havrylov, Ukrainian military attaché, Col. Julian Kulas, USAR (ret.), a leading member of the Ukrainian community in Chicago, and Dr. Dmytro Bodnarczuk, national commander of the Ukrainian American Veterans.

At the conclusion of the conference, the attendees voted to organize the Ukrainian-American Military Association for the purpose of promoting the national security interests of the U.S. and to foster U.S.-Ukrainian military cooperation.

The UAMA will be an affiliated organization of the Ukrainian-American Veterans.

The newly elected officers are Lt. Col. Oryshkevych of Silver Spring, Md., president; Maj. Roman Golash of Schaumburg, Ill., vice-president; Lt. Cmdr. Charles Dobra of Roselle, Ill., secretary; Lt. Col. Walter Chyterbok of Schaumburg, Ill., treasurer; Lt. Col. Kondratiuk of Lorton, Va., historian.

Membership is open to all military personnel, active and reserve, who are of Ukrainian descent.

Information concerning membership in the Ukrainian-American Military Association is available by writing to UAMA, P.O. Box 852, Lorton, VA 22199; or by calling (703) 681-0717.