ARMENIAN FIGHTING FORCE RECRUITED LOCAL RESIDENTS
Susan Spencer
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
September 17, 2009 Thursday
NORTHBRIDGE/UXBRIDGE EDITION
Massachusetts
Northbridge Board of Selectmen Vice Chairman Charles Ampagoomian
Jr. grew up hearing stories about his grandfather, Oscar Ampagoomian,
who volunteered with the Armenian Legion to serve in the Middle East
during World War I. When the Watertown-based Armenian Library and
Museum of America premiered its traveling exhibit on the Armenian
Legionnaires, Mr. Ampagoomian was enthralled by what he saw.
"I said `Wow!’" Mr. Ampagoomian said, explaining that the photos,
maps and documents highlight Armenian history, which has often been
suppressed and still is denied in parts of the world, such as Turkey.
The exhibit, which opened Aug. 31, runs through Sept. 22 at Northbridge
Town Hall.
"It shows the fact that regardless of whether you were born here or
overseas, you went back to protect the country," he said.
Christie L. Hardiman, public relations coordinator for the Armenian
Library and Museum of America, said, "The exhibit explores many aspects
of the Armenian Legion, the incredible battles that they fought, the
triumphs they had. It tells the story of these incredible individuals."
Through roughly two dozen panels with photos and narrative, "Legion
Armenienne: The Armenian Legion and its Heroism in the Middle East"
chronicles the overlooked history of the Armenian volunteers, who
served with British and French troops and, according to the exhibit,
were a major force that broke the Turko-German combined front at
Palestine, signaling the beginning of the collapse of Ottoman Empire
(after four centuries of rule) and the victory of the Allies.
The Legion was formed in 1916 with a core of 500 men from Musa Dagh,
an Armenian village in Turkey. In 1916-17, 1,200 men from the United
States were recruited to join the effort, including several from
Northbridge. The Legion was dissolved in 1920.
The military rally was particularly significant, the exhibit explains,
because it occurred as Armenians were facing the aftermath of
genocide at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish government. Between 1
and 1-1/2 million Armenians, who were Christian, died as the result
of government action by the Muslim-majority Ottoman Empire (now the
Republic of Turkey) between 1896 and 1915.
Many Armenian survivors fled to the United States, settling to work
in the mills of Watertown, Whitinsville and Worcester, among other
communities. St. Asdvadzadzin Armenian Apostolic Church in Whitinsville
is one of 17 Armenian churches in Massachusetts and is the center of
an active Armenian-American population.
Arakel Almasian, assistant treasurer and Executive Committee member of
the Armenian Library and Museum of America, was one of the traveling
exhibit’s organizers. "I grew up in Whitinsville, so I thought it
should start out there," he said. "You’ll see a bunch of people from
Whitinsville in it."
Museums in Germany, France and the Smithsonian Institution have
expressed interest in its historical collection, Mr. Almasian said.
Ms. Hardiman said the traveling exhibit, which moves next to
California, includes photos donated by the Armenian-American
community and articles from the archives at Stanford University’s
Hoover Institution.
"It’s not well known, but it’s an important piece of the history,"
Ms. Hardiman said.
The exhibit can be viewed in Northbridge Town Hall’s Great Hall
during regular hours: 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday; 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. A
public reception was held Sept. 14.
The traveling exhibit was funded by a grant from the K. George and
Carolann S. Najarian, M.D. Foundation with additional support from
the Armenian-American Veterans of Milford.