The American Legion Lithuanian Post 154 For God and Country Legionnaire 3rd Quarter 2020 CCCommander’sCommander’s Message saying farewell to our fellow comrade. I wish to espe- cially thank Victor Siaurusaitis, Al’s son, for sharing I hope you and your families are well. his dad’s autobiography and allowing me to print it. I estimate that about 25% of our members were born The COVID-19 virus continues to cripple the civilized in Lithuania or in Displaced Persons’ Camps in Ger- world. US deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic have many and experienced similar hardships fleeing from exceeded 125,000. Nonessential businesses have communism. After reading Algirdas’ autobiography, I been closed, People have been ordered to wear masks suggest you share and discuss it with your kids and and stay 6 feet apart. As expected, there have been grandkids. It will reinforce the WWII history that they many cancellations and postponements of events. learned in school. Some states had begun to partially remove restric- tions, but to increased COVID cases, have reversed Lithuanian Post 154 formal Installation of Officers their plan. Some health professional do mot expect us normally held in September has been canceled. to be back to normal until a vaccine is available. The Lithuanian Festival has tentatively been resched- Department of Maryland Convention in Ocean City has uled to September 12 - 13 at Lithuanian Hall. been cancelled. A “mini” convention with just business meetings will be held at the War Memorial on Septem- The Windmills International Dance Festival has been ber 19th. Legion College, Memorial Service and social rescheduled to October 10 at Lithuanian Hall. activities will be eliminated. Posts have been in- structed to submit the names of Post Officers for Most of our members are in the most vulnerable 2020 - 2021 and Convention Delegates to Depart- population. I urge you to continue to be cautious. Stay ment by August 30th. home as much as possible and away from crowds. Stay well! Since we have not had any meetings during the virus lockdown, we were unable to nominate Post officers Joe Jankevicius for F.Y. 2021. I am asking our current officers to con- Commander tinue to serve in their current elected positions until we are able to have a General Meeting to vote in offi- cers for next year. Subject to government guidelines. MMMembersMembers Nominated to be Post 154 Officers in we hope to have our next Executive Meeting on July 2020 --- 2021 22nd —1 PM at Spirits West and our next General Meeting on August 12th —11 AM at Lithuanian Hall. The following Post 154 members have been nomi- We need to have names of nominees for F.Y.2021 nated to be Lithuanian Post 154 Officers for Post officers and delegates to Department Convention 2020 - 2021 as well as delegates to the American by the August meeting. At that meeting, we will vote in Legion Department Convention. the officers and delegates. Also at that meeting, we will Install new officers that are present. If you wish to Commander Joe Jankevicius nominate any member of our Post to any office, with Vice Commander Gintaras Buivys their permission, please contact Vincent Dulys or me Adjutant / Finance Officer Vincent Dulys with their names. I encourage all present officers to Service Officer Augustinas Uleckas accept nominations for F.Y. 2021 Chaplain John Maskavich Judge Advocate Patrick Dohlus Due to the COVID pandemic, the only in person Lithua- Historian Henry Gaidis nian Post 154 gathering last quarter was at Algirdas Sergeant At Arms Toivo Tagamets Siaurusaitis private gravesite service. I wish to thank Executive Committee John Potts the Siaurusaitis family for allowing us to join them in Executive Committee Vitas Siaurusaitis Page 2 Legionnaire - 3rd Quarter 2020 MMMembershipMembership Taps Fiscal Year 2021 On May 18, 2020, at the age of 89, membership year is Lithuanian Post 154 Member Algirdas from July 2020 to June Siaurusaitis passed away. Algirdas 30, 2021. Members was a Korean War veteran who served will be receiving their his country with great distinction. He renewal notice from was a member of Lithuanian Post 154 National this month. since 1968. Please make your At the May 21, 2020 grave site remittance of $30 payable to American funeral service, a American Legion, Legion Post #154 Lithuanian Post 154 detail, was hon- and mail to my home ored to be able to wish farewell to our address. I will mail your fellow Legionnaire. The Post per- new membership card formed Flag Honors and played Taps. for Fiscal Year "2021". Lithuanian Post 154 offers the Also you can renew on- Siaurusaitis family our deepest line on our web site condolences. "www.lietuvis.net". Click "Online Member- FAREWELL ship Renewal" and Fellow Legionnaire follow prompts. Vincent T Dulys PPPayingPaying the Bills ––– COVIDCOVID----1919 Challenges Membership Chairman Lithuanian Hall Reopening Update Dear Family and Friends of the Lithuanian Hall, Happy Birthday As the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland begin to reopen, we are July eager to welcome you back to the historic Lithuanian Hall. Though our Raymond W. Beares doors have been closed for the past few months, we are grateful that so Terrence Chesson many of you have kept us on your mind and contributed to keeping the Joseph Gaila Hall alive during this difficult time. August Because of your generosity, we raised $11,553. However, we still face a Algimantas Grintelis budget gap of $2,442. We would like to be able to reopen without this Victor A. Kareiva additional debt. We know that the times are tough for many in our com- Thomas A. Keane munity, but we ask you to help us one more time, so we can continue Roy W. Kemmer serving you and preserving our Lithuanian heritage. Please consider mak- Joseph Lazaravich ing a donation to "Lithuanian Hall Association", and mailing it to: 851 Hugh H. Mills Jr. Hollins St. Baltimore, MD 21201. Mark Nauyalis Toivo Tagamets Thank you for your consideration and for helping to keep our Lithuanian Algirdas M. Veliuona traditions alive in Baltimore. Ačiū! September Vincent Dulys The Lithuanian Hall is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more infor- Dena Norton mation please contact the Lithuanian Hall at [email protected] or Vitas Siaurusaitis call the Hall at 410-685-5787. Page 3 Legionnaire - 3rd Quarter 2020 MY MEMOIRS by Algirdas Siaurusaitis EEEARLYEARLY YEARS IN LITHUANIA brother Juozas and I de- I was born in 1931 in the village of Vaidotai, Vilkav- cided to race to the water- iskis region, Lithuania. My father Juozas Siaurusaitis was ing spot. At the bank of awarded a parcel of land, about 25 acres, for his voluntary the creek my horse military service in the 1918 fight for Lithuania's independ- stopped abruptly, and I hit ence . On this land, he built a farm, married my mother, the ground landing on my Elena Kezenis, and raised four sons, Juozas, Algirdas elbow. I walked back to my (me), Jonas and Vitas. Vaidotai no longer exist, be- father crying. My father cause after the second Russian occupation of asked me where I was Lithuania, all farms were confiscated by the govern- hurting, felt around my el- ment, and the farmers were made to work in collec- bow, and gave my arm a tive government run farms. Even the farm buildings quick yank. I let out a were razed to "improve" the land. So, on the map, my scream and was as good birthplace is located about two miles east from Ger- as before. That was the end of our racing. many (now Kaliningrad region occupied by Russia), Our school was about two miles away. It was a seven miles south from Kybartai, and seven miles large building holding four grades and had a built-in north from Vistytis. apartment for two resident teachers. They were a Our farm was small by any measure, but it young, married couple. Juozas and I walked to school supported our family, and with occasional hired help, and sometimes we got caught at school in a snow was self-supporting. There were three buildings: a blizzard. Then, my father would come in a sleigh to two bedroom house, a barn, and a building housing get us. The winters in Lithuania were very cold. The the farm animals. There was no plumbing in the ground froze in the beginning of December and did house, and water was hauled from a well for all pur- not thaw until March, with a lot of snow falling poses. The heating of the house and cooking was by throughout the winter. In the spring, when the snow a wood/peat burning combination of stove and oven melted, the creeks would rise. Yes, there was an- which had a brick bench extension into the bed- other creek close to the school. Here is another inci- rooms to provide heat. The exhaust led to a large dent that sticks in my mind. One morning my brother smoke chamber located in the attic and then to the and I came to this swollen creek, and my brother chimney. The chamber was used to smoke fresh jumped over it. I jumped, and landed in the middle of meats. Now that I think about it, it was an ingenu- it. Not enough to drown, but wet top to bottom. When ous, economical design. The barn was used for stor- I got to school, the teachers took me to their apart- ing crops. My father grew rye, wheat, barley, clover, ment, where I spent the whole day drying out. I fin- tobacco for his pipe, and flax that produced cooking ished the fourth grade at this school in 1939.