Ukrainian American Veterans update

     Last week’s monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Commander Eugene A. Tomashosky of North Port, was attended by the largest number of members in recent time.

    After the traditional opening ceremony (salute to the flag, Pledge of Allegiance, moment of silence for departed comrades and official opening of the meeting by the commander), the minutes of the last meeting were read by Commander Gene. The finance officer, who is also the post’s vice commander, Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), presented a detailed report of post’s finances, including funds received thus far for the upcoming Officers Installation/ Fundraiser luncheon.

    Post Quartermaster Dr. George Baranowskyj’s report was augmented by the distribution of caps and T-shirts to the newest members. Chaplain/ service officer Marian Bojsiuk informed members of the new type of Veterans Administration benefits card and also of some of the changes in the VA system. Public relations officer, yours truly, reported on the publicity in the North Port Sun. Commander Tomashosky congratulated yours truly on the article about Post 40 published in the recent issue of The UAV Tribune.

    UAV National Commander and Post 40 Past Commander Ihor W. Hron presented a comprehensive report on the 67th UAV National Convention, held Oct. 3-5 in Independence, Ohio. He spoke very highly of the superb job done by host Ukrainian Vietnam Veterans of Cleveland Ohio, Post 24 headed by Commander Bohdan Samokyszyn and the 67th National Convention Committee headed by PNC Roman Rakowsky. NC Hron provided some details of the convention’s deliberations: The National Executive Board, including the national commander, was re-elected in its entirety for the next year, the new UAV webmaster (a volunteer) was approved, and next year’s 68th National Convention will be co-hosted by the UAV New Jersey posts, with UAV Post 17 of Passaic, N.J., headed by James Fedorko, assuming the responsibility for the convention journal. NC Hron, who chaired the 67th convention’s resolution committee, reported on the resolution passed by the convention, which included, among other important issues, a request for President Obama to provide lethal assistance to the Armed Forces and Volunteer Battalions of Ukraine now fighting against Putin’s Russian aggression.

    Post Vice Commander and UAV National Adjutant Rondiak spoke briefly about his activities at the convention, including meeting with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s staff. He then proceeded to provide additional information about the status of ticket sales and other details of the traditional Officers Installation/Fundraiser luncheon at noon Nov. 13 at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club in North Port. He emphasized that there are very few tickets remaining to be sold, and no tickets will be sold at the door.

    Yours truly, as chair of the post’s Nominating Committee, presented the list of post officers to be formally elected at the next membership meeting on Nov. 7. They will be installed at the Nov. 13 luncheon.

    Before adjourning the meeting, Commander Tomashosky reminded members of the traditional Panakhyda (requiem service) for departed veterans on Nov. 9 at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Church, and the Community Veterans Day observance at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Veterans Park, next to the North Port Library.

    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

Social activity schedule resumes

   The monthly membership meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, headed by Commander Eugene A. Tomashosky of North Port, will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”) in North Port. Commander Tomashosky is asking all members to attend this very important and informative meeting.

    The agenda of the meeting will include, in addition to the traditional ceremonies and reports, several reports of UAV national officers and delegates to the 67th UAV National Convention held last weekend in Ohio, report of the post’s nominating committee in anticipation of the election of 2014-15 officers at the November monthly meeting, and finalization of plans for the officers installation/ fundraiser luncheon to be held at noon Nov. 13 at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club, 3401 S. Sumter Blvd.

    Tickets for this very popular affair, including the officers installation ceremony and other activities, with music by “VLAD” and a delicious buffet lunch, are available for $25 per person (checks payable to “UAV 40”), and must be purchased by no later than Nov. 7 from Post 40 members, including yours truly.

    All proceeds will go to the UAV National Monument Fund. The UAV National Memorial, honoring all members of all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and located on a plot donated for this purpose by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cemetery in South Bound Brook, N.J., is scheduled to be completed and formally dedicated during the UAV 68th National Convention in the fall of 2015.
                                                            • • •
    North Port Branch 56 of Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian ladies), and headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, held its second post-vacation membership meeting yesterday at the Oseredok.

    It was a very lively and interesting meeting, with members who visited Ukraine last summer relaying their experiences and impressions, and UNWLA National Welfare Chair Lidia Bilous of Osprey providing information about the latest UNWLA project, “Helping Victims of the Ukrainian War of Dignity” of the UNWLA War Victims Fund. This fundraising is to pay for the shipment of very expensive medical equipment donated by Boston, Mass., hospitals for hospitals in Ukraine, and to provide assistance to the victims of the Russian-inspired and assisted war activity in the southeastern part of Ukraine.

    The official publication about this action stresses the fact that UNWLA, a 501(c)(3) organization, since its establishment by the Ukrainian American patriotic and longsighted ladies in 1925, was the leading organization in the area of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians all over the world who found themselves in need of financial or moral assistance. Ms. Bilous provided facts and figures about the sums expended over the years up until very recently.
                                                              • • •
    The 2012 London Olympics heavyweight champion and 2011 world champion Oleksander Usyk (5-0, five KOs) of Ukraine acquired a vacant WBO I/C interim title by defeating South African cruiserweight champion Daniel “Billy the Kid” Bruwer (24-6-1, 21 KOs) in seven one-sided rounds in Lviv, Ukraine.

    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

 

Meetings, plans and other upcoming events

    The first post-vacation membership meeting of Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, was held Sept. 24 at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as “the Oseredok”) in North Port. After calling the meeting to order, President Daria asked members to observe a moment of silence for recently deceased members of the club, and also for the fallen and murdered heroes of anti-terrorist action against terrorists and Russian military invaders in Ukraine.

    After the reading and approval of reports (last meeting’s minutes by Halya Lisnyczyj, treasury by Nancy Wosny, correspondence secretary and pantry/ homeless projects by Halya Lisnyczyj), the club’s Scholarship Committee chairman, professor Victor Lisnyczyj, discussed the last scholarship awards luncheon and plans for next year’s luncheon in March 2015 at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club in North Port, and read some letters from past scholarship recipients.

    President Daria shared information about some changes and updates to the club’s website (ukrainianamericanclub.com) and also explained in great detail the Prime Time Reading Program at the North Port Library. The club will host the program’s dinner Oct. 16. Volunteerservers should report to the library at 4 p.m.

    The “didusi” (grandfathers) report was delivered by Lieda Boyko, who reported that the club is currently assisting three elderly single men and one elderly widow in Ukraine. She also read some messages from the recipients of stipends. Klara Szpiczka and Maria Hirniak discussed the embroidery project, which is in the final stage of completion, but it is the most difficult, labor-intensive and time-consuming phase.

    To be ready for the election of officers in the spring, President Daria nominated three members to the Nominating Committee: Maria Hirniak, Oksana Lev and yours truly, and announced that the annual Christmas dinner committee will be chaired by Anna Mariani of Port Charlotte. The dinner will be held Dec. 6 at the Oseredok.

    The traditional 50/50 raffle winner was Yara Litosh, who generously donated her winnings to the club’s didusi project.

    Before adjourning the meeting, President Daria brought up the matter of fundraising for IFAKs (improved first-aid kits costing $100 each) for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and volunteer battalion personnel engaged in defending Ukraine from Russian military invasion and domestic terrorists. Several individuals made significant pledges.

    After the meeting was adjourned but before the traditional social hour over coffee and pastry, Natalie Sluzar of North Port, who traveled to Ukraine this summer, gave a superb, very interesting presentation about her trip, augmented by interesting photographs.
                                              • • •
    There will be no meeting of Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian Veterans this Friday. The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Oseredok.

    The monthly membership meeting of Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian Ladies), headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will take place at 10 a.m. Oct. 7 at the Oseredok.

    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

Ukrainian American Club meets tonight

    The Ukrainian American Club of Southwest Florida, headed by Daria Tomashosky of North Port, will hold its first postvacation membership meeting at 6 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, known as the “Oseredok.” Following the customary reports of officers and committee chairs, members will be presented several important issues for discussion and approval, including participation in the North Port Library “Prime Time Reading Program,” a pantry/homeless project, planning for the traditional and very popular Christmas dinner, and others.

    At the end of the meeting there will be an interesting presentation of our member Natalie Sluzar of North Port about her very recent visit to Ukraine.

    The club’s Executive Committee met on Sept. 16 at the Oseredok to hear officers’ reports, including the last meeting’s minutes and financial report, and to plan for tonight’s meeting and for the next several monthly meetings. Chaired by president Daria, members discussed the status of the club’s website, the Prime Time Reading Program (presented by president Daria), pantry/homeless project (presented by Halya Lisnyczyj), “didusi” (grandfathers assistance, presented by Lieda Boyko), tapestry project (presented by Klara Szpiczka), and the Scholarship Committee report by chair professor Victor Lisnyczyj. Also discussed were the Christmas dinner to be held in December, Scholarship Awards luncheon to be held in March 2015, and a list of speakers for the upcoming meetings. Some of these items will be presented for discussion at tonight’s meeting. Some initiatives will require members’ approval.

    Meetings and activities of the Ukrainian American Club, other than Executive Board meetings, are open to the public, including nonmembers and potential members. All business and meetings are conducted in English. Membership in the club is open to all.

    Jewish High Holy Days

    My wife Katrusia and I wish all our Jewish friends and neighbors here in Southwest Florida and in the greater New York City area happy and healthy Holy Days.

    Rosh Hashana, the beginning of the new Jewish year 5775, to be observed beginning at sundown tonight, is the first day of the High Holy Days or Days of Awe, the most holy time of the Jewish calendar year. This sacred time will end on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, at sundown on Oct. 4.

    In my native village Yakubova Volya (Jacob’s freedom) in Ukraine, there were only three Jewish families out of approximately 250 households prior to World War II. All others were Ukrainians, all nominally of Greek-Catholic faith. I remember that my family and most of our neighbors did everything possible not to engage in any noisy labor, such as chopping wood, during the Holy Days, in respect of our Jewish neighbors.

    Sadly, as a result of several “liberations” by invading Nazi Germany and Communist Russia, there are no Jewish families in the village nor are there any of approximately 180 families, including my own family and my aunts and uncles, who got killed or deported to Siberia by the “liberators.”

    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

UNWLA branch members meet, make plans

     The North Port Milena Rudnycka Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America — UNWLA, commonly referred to as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (Union of Ukrainian Ladies) — headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood held its first post-vacation meeting last week. In addition to the customary reports of officers and committee chairs the meeting was devoted to planning the traditional and very popular fall picnic, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 19.

    Another topic was the upcoming National UNWLA Board meeting, which will take place Sept. 19-21 at the Ukrainian National Association Estate “Soyuzivka” in Kerhonkson, N.Y. This will be the first meeting of the National UNWLA Board elected at the UNWLA National Convention in May. It will be chaired by UNWLA President Marianna Zajac.

    There will be three members from Florida attending that meeting: Lidia Bilous, branch 56 member, Social Welfare National Chair; Orysia Zinycz, branch 56 member, Co-Liaison for Branches at Large; and Olya Czerkas, branch 124 (St. Petersburg) member, Co-Liaison for Branches at Large.

    There are 18 UNWLA Branches at Large. Branches not affiliated with UNWLA Regional Councils, include branches 56 and 124 with more than 400 members.

    International Day of Peace

    This Sunday, Sept. 21, in addition to being the official first day of autumn, will be observed as the International Day of Peace. This Sunday at noon in every time zone, a moment of silence will be observed. There are many areas of the world where “peace” is an unknown commodity, including a large part of my native Ukraine.

    Since the Russian President Putin decided to ignore the international law and his country’s formal commitment to honor and preserve the integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and blatantly violated the territory of Ukraine by annexing one part — Autonomous Republic of Crimea — and sending his agents and military units into other section of Ukraine, there are shootings and killings of both military personnel and civilians with no hope for real peace. After it was finally agreed to suspend the fighting, and Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko ordered the Ukrainian Armed Forces to observe the moratorium, Putin’s agents, some masquerading as “separatists,” and Russian military units, continue to violate the agreed upon moratorium by continuously bombarding the Ukrainian positions and civilian objects.

    What is ‘Liberation ?’

    Seventy-five years ago, Sept. 17, 1939, in accordance with the agreement between Hitler’s Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Russia (masquerading as Soviet Union), Stalin’s Red Army attacked Poland from the East while Hitler’s Wehrmacht was moving from the West. As it is typical for the Russian propaganda which consists of lies and no real truth, the official version of Stalin’s propaganda machine was “the liberation of brotherly Ukrainians and Byelorussians from capitalist yoke.”

    This “liberation” ended in 1941 by another “liberation,” this time by the Nazi Germany, which then was followed by yet another “liberation” in 1944 by the Russian Army. As a result of these “liberations,” thousands of peaceful and innocent Ukrainians were executed (Russian KGB did it clandestinely; the Nazi Gestapo — publicly), hundreds of thousands deported, and several millions perished as a result of military operations.

    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

Ukrainian Veterans are busy

    The North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans — UAV, headed by Commander Eugene A. Tomashosky of North Port, held its first postvacation membership meeting last Friday, Sept. 5, at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center, the “Oseredok.
   

    The traditional opening ceremony and prayer, and reading of last meeting’s minutes by Commander Tomashosky, were followed by post officers’ reports: Vice Commander & Finance Officer Col. Roman Rondiak, USA Ret., Quartermaster Dr. George Baranowskyj, and Public Relations Officer — yours truly. Past Post Commander and UAV National Commander Ihor W. Hron spoke at length about the status of the fundraising and plans for construction of the national UAV monument dedicated to all Ukrainian American veterans of all wars and all branches of our Armed Forces. The monument, which will be located on the grounds of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Cemetery in Bound Brook, N.J., will be formally dedicated in the fall of 2015.

    NC Hron also spoke about the upcoming 67th UAV National Convention which will take place Oct. 2-5, 2014, at the Holiday Inn in Independence, Ohio, about the convention journal, and the future conventions. The 68th UAV National Convention in 2015 will take place in New Jersey and will be hosted by all three UAV New Jersey posts.

    Yours truly, as chair of the post nominating committee, presented the preliminary report. The list of potential candidates to replace the current slate of officers will be finalized at the Oct. 10 membership meeting. The election will be held at the Nov. 7 membership meeting.

    Commander Tomashosky spoke about the traditional post’s installation luncheon meeting, which will take place at Heron Creek Golf & Country Club in North Port at noon, Thursday, Nov. 13. The tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are $25 per person and can be obtained from Post 40 members, including yours truly. There will be no tickets sold at the door. The buffet luncheon will follow the formal ceremony of installation of newly elected and/or re-elected officers. The traditional Commander’s Award will be presented to an individual whose community activities are deemed to be extraordinary.

    The next membership meeting will take place at 3 p.m., Friday, Oct. 10, at the “Oseredok.” This change from the first Friday of the month is necessary because some of our members will be attending the UAV National Convention Oct. 2-5.

    Son’s and grandson’s visit

    My wife Katrusia and I would like to thank our youngest son, Lt. Col. Ihor Kobryn, for visiting us with his son and our youngest grandson Severino Bohdan, 4 1/2, who my wife had not seen since his christening in Staten Island’s Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church four years ago. Unfortunately, their visit lasted only two days, due to Ihor’s military commitments, but it was sufficient for our grandson to get to know his “Dido” and “Busya” in person, and to enjoy our swimming pool.

    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

Clubs and organizations get busy

     The somewhat unusual American holiday Labor Day, which is a day of leisure and not actual labor (except for essential services like police, firefighters, hospital staff, and the sanitation workers picking up garbage, to name a few) is also the unofficial end of summer, i.e., the vacation season. Consequently, the local Ukrainian American community’s clubs and organizations get busy.

    The first is North Port’s Cpl. Roman G. Lazor Post 40 of the Ukrainian American Veterans, whose commander is Eugene A. Tomashosky of North Port. It will have its monthly membership meeting at 3 p.m. Friday at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Religious and Cultural Center (known as the “Oseredok”), 4100

S. Biscayne Drive, North Port. The agenda of the meeting will include, in addition to the customary reports of officers, a report of the nominating committee and information about the upcoming 67th National Convention, which will take place Oct. 2-5 at the Holiday Inn in Independence, Ohio. The Cleveland UAV Post 24 will be the host of this year’s convention.

    Our Post 40 will play a very important role at this convention because UAV National Commander Ihor W. Hron of Osprey is a Post 40 member and past post commander. Two other Post 40 members are national UAV officers

— National Adjutant Col. Roman Rondiak, USA (Ret.), who is post vice commander and finance officer, and national chaplain and service officer Marian Bojsiuk, who is post chaplain. Yours truly, as past national commander, is also a member of the UAV National Executive Board, but, sadly, I will have to miss this year’s convention due to my wife Katrusia’s illness.
                                                          • • •
    The local Branch 56 of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, better known as “Soyuz Ukrayinok” (union of Ukrainian ladies), headed by Ann-Marie Susla of Englewood, will hold its first post-vacation meeting at 10 a.m. Sept. 9. The meeting’s location will be communicated to members in due time via email and/or phone.

    The agenda of the meeting will include, in addition to the customary reports of officers and committee chairs, plans and preparation for the traditional and very popular fall picnic, tentatively scheduled for Nov. 19.
                                                        • • •
    The Ukrainian American community, including our community in North Port and vicinity, is all excited about the upcoming visit of Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko to our country and a meeting with President Obama on Sept.

18. We all hope that our members of Congress will invite him to address the joint session of Congress. President Poroshenko is the first president of Ukraine who speaks perfect English.

    We hope also that even before President Poroshenko’s arrival, the United States government and other countries that verbally support Ukraine and condemn Russia’s Putin’s war against Ukraine, will live up to their obligation accepted in the 1994 memorandum signed in Budapest. This “Budapest Memorandum” protected Ukrainian sovereignty, provided Ukraine handed over to Russia what nuclear weapons it had in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, which was substantial. Ukraine voluntarily gave up its nuclear arsenal in reliance on the guarantees of the signatories of this memorandum.

    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