COMMUNITY COMMENTARY:

As an alumnus of the Armenian Youth Federation, I read with a sense of great consternation Dan Kimber’s woefully misplaced commentary piece, (“Greet melting pot with open arms,” Friday) which completely mischaracterizes the origins and purpose of the organization.

If Kimber truly had an understanding of world history he would have grasped the meaning and significance behind the idea espoused by the organization, specifically that the “The Armenian Youth Federation was founded in Boston in 1933, by Gen. Karekin Njdeh, with the purpose of keeping the Armenian youth from assimilating,” and put these words in their proper context.

During the period of 1915 to 1923 the Armenian population had been reduced by half as a result of the brutal genocidal campaign orchestrated and perpetrated by the Ottoman Turks.

As a direct result of this calamity, the very existence of Armenians as a distinct and ancient nation tracing its history over three millenia was imperiled.

In 1933, when Njdeh turned his attention from fighting successive campaigns against the Turkish and then communist invaders to saving a desperate and scattered nation, half of which was held captive under Soviet rule, the other half attempting to deal with the trauma of annihilation, the assimilation of Armenian youth truly represented a step closer to extinction.

That same year, in 1933, it was Njdeh that nurtured and advised one founding member, Col. Harry Sachaklian.

A decade later Sachaklian took the lessons he learned, under the tutelage of Njdeh and as a member of the Armenian Youth Federation when he served with distinction as a military aide to then-Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe.

Colonel Harry, as he was affectionately known by the generations who followed, passed away in 2002 and is buried at Arlington Cemetery, not far from the great general and president he so capably and humbly served.

Sachaklian was not alone in combining his dedication to the survival of the Armenian nation with the defense of America.

Fellow alumna Sue Sarafian was assigned to the highly sensitive post of personal secretary to Eisenhower.

Years later, with war long over, Sarafian, out of an abundance of caution and profound sense of duty, would only reluctantly acknowledge being present in the room with Eisenhower and his chiefs of staff as they planned perhaps the seminal moment in modern world history, the Allied invasion of Europe, commonly known as D-Day.

In fact, 40 members of the organization died during World War II, having served our nation with distinction in Okinawa, Normandy and at the Battle of the Bulge.

Since its inception, the organization’s members have successfully balanced their devotion to the preservation of their heritage with their service and sacrifice to the growth of America.

For the Armenian Youth Federation it was never the “you are either with us or against us” rubric painted by Kimber — it was ready, willing and more than able to both serve America while preserving their proud Armenian heritage.

Perhaps if Kimber did his homework he would not have found the simple yet profound words about the federation and assimilation so threatening and “un-American.”

In any event, the fact that an educator would allow himself to use a word like “un-American” in this context is appalling and tantamount to questioning one’s patriotism.

Unfortunately, in this case the “subversives” are Kimber’s innocent student and other similarly situated members of the organization.

These McCarthyesque shenanigans have no place in a civil, democratic society and only serve to inflame and isolate a community that still is finding balance in preserving America’s great heritage with the change oft times brought by immigrants adjusting to a new society.

Kimber owes the Armenian Youth Federation, and specifically his young student who reached out to him, an apology and perhaps he should hit the books before broaching such a sensitive topic next time around.

 Vicken Sonentz-Papazian is a lawyer, chairman of the Armenian National Committee — Western Region Board of Directors. He is a resident of Valley Village.