Ukrainian American Veterans leaders sworn in

    The newly elected/ re-elected leaders of the Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans were formally sworn in and installed by UAV National Commander Ihor W. Hron of Osprey, who is Post 40’s past post commander, last Thursday at the traditional installation/ fundraiser luncheon. Over 100 members and guests attended the luncheon, held at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club in North Port.

    The new officers of Post 40 are: commander, Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.); vice commander, Col. Roman Synychak, USAF (Ret.); adjutant and historian, John Czerkas; finance officer, Oleh Sawkiw; chaplain, the Rev. Roman Badiak; judge advocate, Dr. George Baranowskyj; quartermaster, Mykola Kompanijec; welfare/ service officer, Marian Bojsiuk; and public relations officer, Bohdan Hirniak. Eugene “Gene”

A. Tomashosky, immediate past post commander, will be a full member of the Executive Board.

    Col. Rondiak is also UAV national adjutant, and Marian Bojsiuk is UAV national chaplain and service officer.

    Gene Tomashosky did an outstanding job as master of ceremonies. After greeting the attending members and guests, he commanded the posting of colors, and after the induction of new officers and change of command ceremonies introduced new post members and special guests, including presidents of local Ukrainian American organizations and two Ukrainian Armed Forces officers now serving as liaisons with the Headquarters United States Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

    (Now former) North Port Mayor Jim Blucher was the featured speaker, who was followed with brief remarks by Col. Kalenichenko, Armed Forces of Ukraine, and UAV National Commander Hron. An auction of a picture donated by NC Hron and colorful traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs by Marian Bojsiuk, plus special donations from guests, raised over $3,000 for the UAV National Monument, which will be erected to honor all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cemetery in South Bound Brook, N.J. The monument is scheduled to be dedicated in fall 2015 during the UAV 68th National Convention.
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    This Saturday, Ukrainians in Ukraine and throughout the world will commemorate the 81st anniversary of “Holodomor,” the genocidal famine in 1932-1933 artificially perpetrated by Josef Stalin and his cohorts in Ukraine and adjoining to Ukraine regions, which resulted in about 10 million deaths. In Ukraine, Nov. 22 was declared an official “Holodomor Commemorative Day.” The religious services and various civic observances are scheduled to be attended by political leaders and government officials, including President Petro Poroshenko.

    Ukrainians will pause at 2 p.m., Kyiv Time, for a moment of silence in commemoration of the Holodomor victims. In New York City, the Ukrainian American community will be commemorating the 81st anniversary of Holodomor with a requiem service at 1 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

    In spite of decades- long Russian Communist propaganda denying the murderous acts of the Stalin regime against freedom-loving Ukrainians, the majority believe that ”Holodomor” was a genocide against Ukrainians.

    Atanas Kobryn covers the Ukrainian community for the North Port Sun. He can be emailed at atanask@aol.com.

Our Neighbors — The Ukrainians

by Atanas Kobryn