The life of our compatriots – American Slovaks and their descendants in the USA took many forms. From involvement in compatriot organisations, church choirs or sports clubs to service in the US army. “Uncle Sam” as the national personification of the United States of America has lured thousands of our compatriots.
We find traces of American Slovaks in almost all conflicts fought by the US Army, starting with the American Civil War (1861 – 1865). We also see their traces in the Spanish-American War (1898). Perhaps the most distinctive mark they left was in both World Wars, where tens of thousands served, several thousand of whom gave their lives for their new homeland. Hundreds or thousands of American Slovaks fought in Korea (1950-1953) or Vietnam (1964-1975). Thus, Slovaks in the American army have a 160-year tradition.
The service of American Slovaks in the U.S. Army is one of the little-known places in our or American history. That is why in the Museum of Emigration we map the fates of soldiers – American or Canadian Slovaks in the service of the American or Canadian army. In Kasigarda, you can see the uniform of an American Slovak in the Czechoslovak legions, or a photo of Michael Yavor after the landing in Guadalcanal. On the museum grounds, we unveiled a memorial to Andrej Babjak, a Slovak born in Žbince, who was killed during the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.
Honor their memory!
