FACES AND PLACES: Ukrainians and World War II (06/27/04)

FACES AND PLACES

by Myron B. Kuropas

Ukrainians and World War II

World War II veterans can thank Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) for their newly erected memorial in Washington.

It all began at a fish-fry in Rep. Kaptur's Toledo district when a constituent, Roger Durbin, approached her and asked why there was no memorial to World War II veterans in the nation's capital. Vietnam veterans had a memorial. So did Korean veterans. Why not the "Greatest Generation"?

Rep. Kaptur went to work. After some investigation, she introduced legislation authorizing the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish such a monument in Washington, D.C. On May 25, 1993, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-32 authorizing the erection of such a monument. Later, he dedicated the site, situated between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

Lesia and I were in the nation's capital during the Memorial Day weekend and were deeply moved by the impressive structure, as well as the hundreds of veterans present at the memorial and later at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum ("America's Hangar") near Dulles Airport. We met and photographed Joseph S. Waisanen, 79, and his family who were visiting the museum. Currently a resident of Royal Oak, Mich., Mr. Waisanen had been a pilot with the 8th Photo Group, 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Unit in China, Burma and India. A 19-year-old first lieutenant during the war, he flew a Mustang.

Many Ukrainians served in World War II, primarily as soldiers in the Soviet army. Next year will be the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe and Prof. Roman Serbyn has expressed concern that Russia will dominate the festivities in Eastern Europe unless Ukraine begins to make plans of its own. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men and women fought and died in the Soviet armed forces as they marched towards Berlin.

Prof. Roman Serbyn believes that "Ukraine is preparing to have a grand celebration of the 60th anniversary of Victory Day (May 9)." As things stand now, according to Prof. Serbyn, Ukraine will celebrate along with Belarus and Russia and not with the rest of Europe and "be pushed more and more into Eurasia and further and further away from Europe."

Dr. Serbyn believes that Ukrainians in the diaspora should begin immediately to "develop a program of how things should and could be included in the 2005 commemorations," including the contributions of Ukrainians in the West, as well as UPA and the Halychyna Division. Academics need to become involved along with our grassroots organizations, fraternals, etc., who could conduct interviews of surviving veterans and their children and other such projects.

Ukrainian Americans did serve during World War II. UNA involvement in the war effort, for example, was of two kinds: UNA members fighting in the armed forces and the purchase of war bonds. As more and more young Ukrainian men and women either joined the armed forces or were drafted, The Ukrainian Weekly kept tabs.

For example, the June 5, 1943, issue ran photos and stories about Walter Bacad and Daniel Slobodian, both of whom were commissioned as second lieutenants. Mr. Bacad was later active in the Ukrainian Youth League of North America (UYLNA) and, as a former student of the famed Vasile Avramenko, taught Ukrainian dancing at the Ukrainian cultural courses at Soyuzivka. Mr. Slobodian returned from the war a wounded veteran, was also active in the UYLNA, and later became the first manager of Soyuzivka.

In a regular Weekly column titled "Youth and the UNA," the promotions of Roman Milanowicz to corporal in the U.S. Army and Walter M. Zukowsky to aviation machinists mate, second class, in the U.S. Navy, were also noted. All through the war nearly every issue carried news about Ukrainians in the U.S. military. Hundreds of youths were profiled over the years.

The Weekly also served as a link with Ukrainians in military service. Readers were urged to send copies to their loved ones far from home. An editorial on April 17, 1943, mentioned a letter received from Pvt. John Szelest, stationed in Texas, in which he thanked The Weekly for publishing his picture. "I received very many letters from the girls who read The Ukrainian Weekly," he wrote. "All of them have made me very happy. Sometimes I get as many as 18 letters a day." The editorial ended with a plea to send subscriptions to military personnel (only $2 per year) and "to become volunteer reporters of The Ukrainian Weekly, thereby keeping your friends posted on what is of special interest to them."

Another World War II military man worthy of mention is Joseph Lesawyer, who served as UNA president from 1961 to 1978. Mr. Lesawyer was an army captain at the famed Battle of the Bulge in Belgium during which outnumbered American forces refused to surrender to superior German forces. The surprise German offensive began on December 16, 1944, and ended on January 25, 1945.

Also worth noting are the many war fund drives initiated by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America and headed by John Panchuk. The Ukrainian Weekly reported on the initiative in great detail.

Particular attention was paid to a Ukrainian War Bond Rally at the Victory Center in New York City on September 27, 1943. Headed by Stefanie Halychyn, wife of Dmytro Halychyn, the UNA president, the rally brought out some 3,500 Ukrainian Americans and raised a total of $1,105,362.50 in war bonds.

Ukrainians played an important role in the Allied victory, both here and abroad. This contribution should be recognized and celebrated during the 60th anniversary of VE Day next June.

Myron Kuropas's new e-mail address is: [email protected].

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