As we celebrate our veterans on November 11, 2023, Veterans Day, Charles Boone of Dormont, PA and Branch 853, worked diligently so that our aging WW2 veterans would not be forgotten.
Charles, with the help of the Eldred WW2 Museum in Eldred, Pennsylvania, worked to establish the first Slovak American exhibit honoring the Slovak immigrants who fought for their new country, the United States of America.
With it being over 82 years since the US entered the war in 1941, according to VA over 16 million men and women US veterans served world wide during the war with approximately only 122,000 still with us today.
Our FCSU was proud of our members who served their new country in WW2 and honored the members by presenting them with a medal. Some people carried the medal with them, others held the sentiments close at heart. Thank you FCSU for taking the extra steps for giving the written word for the emotional support from our Society and our heavenly Father.
The card on which the medal was presented reads:
“In gratitude to you for having dedicated yourself to the service of Our Country in her hour of trial and in recognition of your self sacrifice when you took up arms in this righteous war and for thus fulfilling the age old motto of our fraternity “for God and Country” it is our privilege to present this token as a symbol of our appreciation and of our solicitude for your welfare and your safe conduct. Jednota prays with you to the Blessed Virgin Mary may She protect and guide you at all times.”
Signed by: Jednota US Service Committee
(Names interpreted from hand written signatures:) M. Oeaegonch, Rev Joseph A Banik, John Sabol, Andrew G Putka, Chas. A. Chaples
We think the signature of John Sabol was the same person who later became President of the FCSU.
The medal reads: Patroness of USA, Immaculate Conception BVM, Protect Me
Medal obverse: Member – The First Catholic Slovak Union U.S.A. Fighting for God and Country In the Armed Forces of the U.S.A. 1942.
The member’s name was inscribed on this obverse side of the medal.
Although Charles assumed that many members received this medal, he only had the privilege of seeing two medals. The first one belonged to our late fraternal FCSU brother Steven A. Matta who served in WW2 in the Army Air Corp being stationed in England and Germany. He was the uncle of our fraternal brother Branch 290 member John Golski from New Jersey.
Mr. Golski was organizing his late uncle’s information for the new Slovak American exhibit when he wanted to find out more information about this medal from the FCSU which had his uncle’s name inscribed. Mr Golski honored his late uncle by carrying this medal as a talisman.
Another member who also received this unparalleled token from the FCSU is our late fraternal brother William F Gavenda who served in the Army Air Corp during WW2. His son and our fraternal brother Robert Gavenda from Branch 313 in Illinois, helped us learn about this medal when he found this originally issued card given by the FCSU.
Charles is proud that he is a member of our FCSU that honored our members at a time of such conflict in the history of the world.
Charles Boone is an active member of Branch 853 in Pittsburgh, PA. He shares the pride of our FCSU as they honored and now remember our veterans.
Charles embraced the honor of being involved in finding out about such an important part of the FCSU history. Charles Boone is a young adult active member of Branch 853 and the Hlinka District 12. He is the son of former National Auditor and former Pension Board Trustee Monica Rodacy Boone and Ronald Boone.
Submitted by Monica Boone, Branch 853
