EDITORIAL: Our veterans (11/16/97)

EDITORIAL

Our veterans

As you, dear readers, have probably noticed, this issue contains a significant amount of material about veterans and the military. That, of course, is by design, as we had decided to honor our veterans with a special section in the issue published immediately after Veterans' Day and Remembrance Day, both marked on November 11. Since 1954, following an act of the U.S. Congress, November 11 became a day to honor veterans of the armed forces. (Originally, the date of November 11 date was set aside in the United States as Armistice Day to commemorate the signing in 1918 of the armistice ending World War I.) Meanwhile, in Canada, November 11 is Remembrance Day - a day observed to recall those who were killed in world wars.

Therefore, it is appropriate that we have printed articles recalling and honoring veterans and others who survived the great cataclysms of this century, and remembering those who served and serve their countries in the armed forces.

This issue also focuses on two very visible and active Ukrainian organizations: the Ukrainian American Military Association, which this year marks the first anniversary of its founding by a particularly active group of U.S. military personnel, and the Ukrainian American Veterans, who began celebrations of their 50th anniversary at their recent convention held at Soyuzivka.

The Ukrainian American Military Association was established by active and reserve personnel from various military services who were already using their Ukrainian heritage to bridge contacts between the United States and Ukraine. Members of the UAMA provide Ukrainian military interpreters for missions between their land and the land of their forefathers. Thus, they have a very special role to play in the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine. The organization earlier this year officially became affiliated with the UAV.

The Ukrainian American Veterans organization unites more than 500 veterans who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. Its goals are to promote veterans' concerns and also, as noted in the organization's mission statement, "to sustain the Constitution, government and laws of the United States." As noted in its constitution, one of the purposes of the UAV is "to aid the Ukrainian people in promoting the growth of democracy in the newly proclaimed Ukraine, and to acquaint the people of the United States with the true allegiance and fidelity of all Ukrainians to the principles of the government of the United States, its Constitution and laws..." As well, the UAV seeks "to maintain the Ukrainian nationality in a status of high esteem and respect in these, our United States."

The organization traces its roots to the 1947 convention of the Ukrainian Youth League of North America, where a group of activists took steps toward the establishment of a permanent national veterans' organization (Ukrainian Americans veterans' posts date back to the period after World War I). Their idea became reality when the founding convention was held on Memorial Day 1948.

Since then, the UAV has been active in many spheres, from annually organizing observances of Memorial Day to helping provide hospitals in Ukraine with the tools they need to take care of the Ukrainian populace's health. It has embraced community-wide initiatives like the erection of the Taras Shevchenko monument in Washington, and it has been involved in veterans' causes, for example, placing a UAV memorial plaque in Pearl Harbor.

Both the UAMA and the UAV are active in patriotic American endeavors, and both are fully involved in Ukrainian community life. Both organizations - one new and eager to contribute to our country, the other a venerable old hand composed of persons who have already contributed much to the United States - deserve our attention and our support on Veterans Day and always.

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