New Jersey UAV post remembers its patron and other Vietnam veterans (03/31/02)

New Jersey UAV post remembers its patron and other Vietnam veterans

by Anna Krawczuk

FREEHOLD, N.J. - Ukrainian American Veterans Post 30 based in Freehold, N.J., is the only UAV Post in Monmouth County. Founded in 1989 in Holmdel, N.J., the membership chose Maj. Myron Diduryk, who was killed in Vietnam on April 26, 1970, as their honored patron.

From its inception the post supported the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial in Holmdel, and participated in its dedication on May 7, 1995.

On the walkway to the memorial are two bricks with an inscription dedicated to Maj. Diduryk; his name is inscribed also on the memorial, which honors all New Jersey residents who served in Vietnam. The memorial especially honors the 1,556 soldiers who never returned home, among them Ukrainian Americans Bohdan Kowal, Mikolaw Melnyk, George M. Smyrychynski, Nicholas Szawaluk and Julius Zaporozec (there must be others that we do not know about).

The Vietnam Era Educational Center at the memorial includes eyewitness and oral historical accounts, a multimedia resource center and other educational material. UAV Post 30 has donated the book "Ukrainian American Veterans 1948-1998 - Historical Analysis and Evaluation" to its library.

The post is compiling biographical data on the fallen heroes and is actively seeking information about Ukrainian Americans whose names are inscribed on the memorial in order to submit it to the center. Readers having this information maye-mail:[email protected],or write to UAV Post 30, P.O. Box 172, Holmdel, NJ 07733-0172.

The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial and Vietnam Era Educational Center is located off the Garden State Parkway at Exit 116 in Holmdel, N.J. and is visible from the parkway.

In pursuit of a federal charter for the Ukrainian American Veterans that has evaded the organization for many years, UAV Post 30 wrote to all New Jersey congressmen, seeking their co-sponsorship. Most of the New Jersey Congressmen complied. Since the prior bill had expired, a new bill, H.R. 818, was introduced on March 1, 2001, during the 107th Congress, by Michigan Rep. David Bonior. It became necessary for UAV Post 30 to approach all the New Jersey Congressmen once again.

Last October post representatives had an opportunity to meet with Rep. Rush Holt in Freehold, N.J., and to thank him for his support and present him with the UAV history. Since that time the post has exchanged correspondence with Rep. Holt, and he has been very supportive.

Post officers have pledged to pursue this matter, but the support of Ukrainian American veterans, even those who are not members of the Ukrainian American Veterans organization, is needed. Supporters are being asked to help by writing to their respective U.S. representatives and urging them to support recognition of the UAV by the federal government. Details about H.R. 818 are available on the Internet at http://www.theorator.com/bills107/hr818.html.

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