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Ukrainian American Veterans |
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Ukrainian
American Veterans By Dmytro Bodnarczuk Ph.D. PNC and Vasyl Luchkiw Ph.D.
PNC
On November 19, 1966 a charter meeting was held at the
Ukrainian Hall in Spring Valley, New York with the purpose of establishing new
UAV post. Waiter Sywilok chaired the meeting. He introduced National Commander
Eugene Segasz and National Judge Advocate Andrew Matz who supervised election
of the Post Officers.
The elected officers were: Walter Sywilok, Commander.;
Nicholas Moskal Senior Vice Commander.; Michael Zedayko, Junior Vice
Commander; Mary Scott, Adjutant; John Smolley, Finance Officer; Joseph Brega,
Judge Advocate; and Ernest Offerman, Trustee. The Post headquarters and the
mailing address were established at the Ukrainian Hall, 16 Twin Avenue.
The cut off date for the ''charter members'' was March 15,
1967. The First Dinner and Dance Journal, of May 6, 1967 lists additional post
members: Harold Furman Bobcock, John Boshonek, John Brega, William Harrison,
Andrew Kashinski, Nicholas Kashinski, Anthony Keyl, Nicholas Macaylo, Edward
Nowinski, Amold Scott, Steven Smolley, Walter Trusewicz, Michael Wengrenovich,
and Walter Zedayko.
One of the UAV organization's responsibilities was to alert
the American people to the dangers emanating from the Soviet Union. That
objective was immediately reached by Post 19. The "Dinner Dance Journal"
contained a list of comprehensive facts about Ukraine's predicament in the
Soviet Union. The journal was distributed to the guests and local govemment
officials. On June 7, 1967, U.S. Congressman John G. Dow, congratulated
members of Post 19 on the establishment of the Post and presented them with
American flag.
From this time on the life and work of Post 19 was influenced
and directed by such capable commanders as, Since 1970 there was at least one member from Post 19 serving
on the UAV National Executive Board, and sometimes as many as three members.
The National Commanders of the UAV fulfill the function of the executive in
the organization, provide it with ideological direction, and set the long
range objectives to be followed by their successors. Four National Commanders
came from Post 19. They were: The Ladies Auxiliary at Post 19 was established in 1974.
Since that time women from Post 19 served on the National Board UAV Ladies
Auxiliary in various capacities. They were:
On November 6, 1994, the Rockland County Veterans
Coordinating Council (New York) honored Teddy B. Dusanenko with the "Veteran
of the Year" award. This award was given periodically to a war veteran for
altruistic contributions to his community. During World War II Teddy Dusanenko
served with the 88th Blue Devils Division in Italy.
Copyright © 1997-2003 by the Ukrainian American Veterans, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Last updated August 18,2003.
Post 19 - Spring Valley, New York
Among others Mary Scott served as the UAV National Historian.
Olga Wengrenovich was the second
National President (1976-1978) and Harriet Dusanenko was National President in
1990-1992.
In April 1999 Dr. Vasyl Luchkiw, PNC while visiting Ukraine meet with Director and his staff of the School - Internat in Ivano-Frankivsk. This is an orphange of some 260 abandoned childre ages 3 - 18, some of them are of Chornobil parents. He distributed gifts to the orphans donated by the sumer school children of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Pearl River, N.Y. The program to help orphans is a joint project of St. Ann's Sodality of SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian church, Spring Valley, N.Y.; The Children's Fund of Rockland Country, N.Y.; St. Stephen's Episcopal Church; UAV Post - 19; and several individual families in the U.S.A. and Canada. They have shipped so far to this orphanage some 3,ooo lbs. of clothing and have donated over $1,000 in cash. Dr. Luchkiw, PNC is the coordinator of this project.
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