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Ukraine who was second to speak, immediately after President Bill Clinton. I am sure that all our hearts were pounding with pride — for both countries. In France, commemorative ceremonies were held at Ame rican cemeteries where thousands upon thousands of Ameri cans were laid to rest fifty years ago. As President of the National Council of Women USA, Iryna Kurowyckyj was pre sent at these ceremonies and was escorted by the Cultural Attache of the United States Embassy, Ann Balbaro, who informed Iryna that she was also of Ukrainian descent. Later Iryna told me that as they looked over the multitude of rows of markers, tears came to her eyes, for she realized that because of their heroic sacrifice for freedom and democracy on the European front, she was able to stand there to honor them. And how many of the fallen heroes were of Ukrainian origin? And how did fate bring two American women of Ukrainian descent to represent the United States of America at these ceremonies? During the Persian Gulf War (Desert Shield and Desert Storm), 7% of total U.S. forces deployed were women — 41,000. This was in 1990 and with the draft lifted, we had an all volunteer military. Men and women served side by side in all capacities. And as I stand here, another contingent of US Military (both men and women) is on its way to the Persian Gulf again. It is only now that books are being written, monuments erected and women in the m ilitary are being given the honors they deserve. The latest of these is The Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. And what about Ukrainian women in the military? I know that some of us are members of the Ukrainian American Ve terans, some are present here today — but I realize that there are many more that we do not know about who have served or are serving on active duty. We need to do extensive research on these women and record the input of Ukrainian Americans into the military of the United States of America. From the tim e that I served in the US Army, the role of women in the military changed from support services to equality with men, including combat. When my tour of duty was up, I was offered the opportunity to attend OCS, but when I asked what was the highest officer’s rank that a woman in the military could achieve, I was told that only one woman could have the rank of full colonel. Well, since I could not become a general, I did not re-up. I chose Soyuz Ukrainok Ameryky — the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America — instead. Now there are women generals. Only as recently as this past June, the US Senate confirmed the nomination of Carol Mutter of the Marine Corps to lieutenant general and Patricia Tracey of the Navy to vice admiral — they are the first females to wear three stars. There are now women astronauts, women pilots — among them our own D. Rusyn (originally of Ohio) who is an F16 pilot on active duty. In 1995, there were 191,399 women on active duty in all four military branches (12.7% of total active duty personnel, 16% of all officers), another 140,000 in the reserves. All US Military Academies are coed — men and women train side by side, become officers and pursue military careers. Recently, I met and spoke with Col. Mary Lee and asked her about her m ilitary career. She answered that it is harder for women to advance because we must compete with men and we must constantly prove ourselves. You can take Ukrainians out of Ukraine, but you cannot take Ukraine out of the hearts of Ukrainians — no matter where they have settled, no matter where they live, no matter how many generations have passed. Within the last ten years I have had the privilege of visiting Ukrainian settlements in Brazil, Argentina, the former Yugoslavia and, of course, Canada. It is amazing to see Ukrainian culture and heritage not only survive, but also thrive for over one hundred years. With the independ ence of Ukraine in 1991, we are all going through a re-inden- tification process with pride. With the UAV Adopt a Hospital Program, Gift of Life, commemorative monuments, scholarship funds, officers from Ukraine attending War College in the US — isn’t Ukraine in our hearts? As Americans of Ukrainian des cent, our contribution to the mosaic of the American nation is honorable, and adds to the diversity and uniqueness of this nation, as Resident Bill Clinton said during the briefing In Celebratioi ° 'f Ethnic America on June 14, 1996 at the White House. Each year UAV Post 30 honors its patron, Major Myron Diduryk who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1970. Post 30 made sure that his name appears on the Vietnam Memorial in Holmdel, New Jersey and New Jersey UAV State Dept. Comman der George Miziuk made sure that other Ukrainian Americans of New Jersey are listed here as well as on the Vietnam Memor ial in Washington, D.C. In April of this year, our family attended a funeral for my beloved cousin, Lt. Col. Eugene Ignatius Stefaniw, US Army retired, at Arlington National Cementery. As a veteran of 22 years of m ilitary service, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam, he was given full military honors. As the US flag was folded by the honor guard and presented to his wife Orysia, as the gun salute rang out, as taps was played to the sorrow of everyone present, my thoughts ran to Regensburg, Germany where his father and my uncle, Colonel (posthumously General) Hnat Stefaniw of the Sichovi Striltsi was laid to rest in 1949, to our uncle Tyt Stefaniw, an officer of the Ukrainian Divizia whose final resting place is in England, to Zenon Stefaniw, an officer of Vyzvolni Zmahannia who is buried in South Bound Brook. N.J. To my own father, Viktor Osinski, whom I cannot remember — born in Lubny, Poltavshchyna, died in 1940 and was buried in Zahochevie (Lemkivshchyna) now in Poland. Will we ever know how many Ukrainians fought and died during the turm oil of the 20th century, under so many different flags in as many different countries? How often — unknowingly — brother against brother? We shall never know the exact number of fallen heroes — men and women of Ukrainian herit age who gave their lives so that we and the world can live in freedom, democracy and peace. May God bless you. May God bless America. May God bless Ukraine. I thank you for your attention. Sources: Information courtesy of the Departments of Defense and Vete rans Affairs. 1996. US Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center (FYE 9/30/95) Military Women by the Numbers (1995) Women in the Military: Where They Stand (1994) Women in the US Armed Services: The War in the Persian Gulf (Women's Research and Education Institute, Washington, D.C.) History of the Ukrainain Armed Forces From left: Mr. & Mrs. Polche and Anna Krawczuk.
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