Glendale News Press, CA
June 14 2008

COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:
Father’s story continues a legacy

By John Krikorian
Published: Last Updated Friday, June 13, 2008 10:35 PM PDT

As we approach Father’s Day this year, I am reminded of one of the Ten
Commandments – `Honor thy father and mother’ – now, most especially,
with the recent passing of my mother, who joins my father.

My father was an orphan and a survivor of the Armenian Genocide of
1915.

Fortunately, his great uncle, Stepan, was in the United States and
joined the French Foreign Legion to return to the war zone to join the
Allies’ struggle against the Axis powers, which included Turkey with
Germany.

It was fortunate, in that my dad’s uncle, in entering the war front
with his battalion, came across fleeing Armenian refugees, which
included his wife, Garmir Eva.

How did he recognize his wife, among all the downtrodden, dirty-faced
refugees?

Her name says it all. The bright-red hair that shone out from her
weathered scarf. Garmir in Armenian means the color red.

The uncle broke ranks and went to embrace his wife, whom he had left
to come to America to earn money to return and build on his home in
historic Armenia.

The region, during that time, got caught up in World War I and the
Armenian Genocide.

Again, fortunate because his wife was holding the hand of my dad,
Hovnaton, who was only 5 years old and orphaned.

The uncle slipped his wife some money and told her to wait in the
village nearby and that after the end of the war he would come and
help her and my dad come to America.

This part of the journey took several years, and it was in 1927 that
my dad finally arrived with his uncle and aunt in New Britain, Conn.

My dad married in 1930. He probably didn’t make much money during his
lifetime, especially at the time of the Great Depression. Although, he
did invest in Peter Paul Inc., makers of Mounds and Almond Joy, a firm
in Naugatuck, Conn., founded by Armenians.

My father told me that during the Depression, at the time of my birth,
he was out of work. My dad saw some men digging a trench, and he
picked up a shovel and joined them.

His first employment was in America. My dad, soon after that, became a
machinist and was employed at Hartford Machine Screw Manufacturing for
the extent of his working days.

In a matter of time, he rose to chief machinist and was promoted to
lead foreman of his shift. I recall, how on a wintry blizzard day,
with a high fever, and ignoring the pleas of my mom, he went to work.

I remember that during World War II, against Germany again, he served
in the Army National Guard, volunteered in the auxiliary police in New
Britain and became a civil air raid warden. He also held several
part-time jobs during this period.

Both my parents made sure that family was important and that
volunteering to serve, caring for our community and America was of
equal value. We all had a proper education that included family
gatherings, family vacations and music lessons

I recall that in graduating from New Britain High in 1950, I had a
talk with my dad with regards to enlisting in the Air Force during the
time of the Korean conflict and remember what he told me.

At the time, many of my fellow classmates were enlisting, due to the
draft. My dad’s advice was to first go on to college, and that he
would finance my education, and then to enter the military service if
I wished.

I’m sure he gave up a lot trying to figure out how to finance my
education and continue to pay his bills.

How could I turn this offer down? I obtained my Bachelor of Science
degree in 1952 from Bryant University in Rhode Island. With the Korean
conflict still on. And in a matter of four months after graduation, I
was drafted into the U.S. Army.

While I can’t really refer to those as the `good ole days,’ they
weren’t really bad.

We had our summer vacations at Sound View Beach on the Connecticut
shores each year and numerous family gatherings. Those years were good
for us and made us stronger individuals. We were a very close and
caring family, which includes Elsie, my wife, who is in the hospital
with some heart problems, at the time of this writing.

We have eight children and 22 grandchildren.

My dad and mom both taught us honesty, integrity, caring for others,
the value of hard work and love for America.

He is gone now and my mom, who passed away this May at 98 years old,
spent her last days in a nursing home in Dearborn, Mich., being looked
after by my brothers and their wives.

My mom went there after the passing of my dad, now 14 years ago.

My mother, Elizabeth, was also orphaned in 1915 and went to an
orphanage in Corinth, Greece, for 10 years. A first cousin in
Worcester, Mass., located her through the Near East Relief Foundation
and brought her to America.

I can’t help but think back to the many good days and some not so good
that we had growing up.

There are many other memories of growing up and our family that will
be told at a later time.

?JOHN KRIKORIAN is a Glendale resident.