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Monte Melkonian


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#1 Aaron

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 01:27 PM

I just got the book on Monte's life, written by his brother and entitled "my brother's road". I will read it shortly. It looks like an easy to read "biography/adventure/late 20th century history" book.

has anyone read it? if yes, your opinion?

A.

Edited by Aaron, 04 August 2005 - 01:29 PM.


#2 kumkap

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 03:16 PM

how much do you know about monte melkonian?

#3 Aaron

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 04:59 PM

I probably know what most of you know!

anyways, I'll get back to this topic after finishing the book

A.

#4 Arvestaked

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 05:21 PM

Monte Melkonian started off as a terrorist and that is what keeps me from having full respect for him.

#5 MosJan

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 05:43 PM

QUOTE (kumkap @ Aug 4 2005, 02:16 PM)
how much do you know about monte melkonian?


Never enough / not enough

Have spend many days digging in some old articles and book’s each book and article offers something new about Avo - but not enough

Book by Marqar about Avo will gave you general information and some details / Facts

We do have many topic’s in this forum on Monte – do search and it will gave you more info

#6 kumkap

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 07:27 PM

basically, from people i've talked to, the book leaves out some information. but it is a riveting, emotional book nonetheless that you will not be able to put down.

#7 Artsakh

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 07:32 PM

I got the book 3 months ago. If you're into reading, its like suspence. Very interesting and keeps you wanna keep reading. When i got it i could put it down, but i stopped 1/3 the way cuz i've been busy. But now that you bring it up, i think im gonna get back to that

Getseh Azgayin Heros Monte Melkonyan, Artsakhi Hramanadar

#8 Zartonk

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 07:43 PM

QUOTE
Getseh Azgayin Heros Monte Melkonyan, Artsakhi Hramanadar


Correct a mistake here, but he was American born right?

#9 kumkap

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Posted 04 August 2005 - 11:53 PM

QUOTE (Zartonk @ Aug 4 2005, 05:43 PM)
Correct a mistake here, but he was American born right?


yes, and the most interesting thing was that his grandfather (or great-grandfather, i forget) was not just one of the first armenians to settle in fresno, but one of the first of anyone to settle in fresno. i think the melkonian family background is one of the most interesting things about his story.

#10 Zartonk

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Posted 05 August 2005 - 01:54 PM

QUOTE
but one of the first of anyone to settle in fresno.
smile.gif

His background I think is the only factor of his legendary aura. While many of the California sons of the Fresno settlers completely assimilated and discontinued being Armenians, this man faought for their survival. I actualy watched a documentary on the Fresno community and their story narrarted by that Manix guy (!), Mike Connors. Only then did I begin appreciateing Melkonian's significance.

Edited by Zartonk, 05 August 2005 - 02:33 PM.


#11 Boghos

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Posted 06 August 2005 - 07:57 AM

How inetresting. I was about to post about this book. I enjoyed it a lot, it is very well written, I read it in a weekend. The best part of it is that it is a very down to earth narrative, appears to be well balanced, even though that is always a tough call.

#12 archakhper

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Posted 10 August 2005 - 04:30 PM

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but this is the book I had been waiting for since I was about 14 years old. If you look into this genre of literature there are a lot of exciting texts about the national heroes / literature of oppression / stories of struggle of other groups available in English, but this is the first really explosive, inspirational and powerful thing like this to appear in English for Armenians. I'm trying to get every Armenian youth I know to read it.


QUOTE (Arvestaked @ Aug 4 2005, 04:21 PM)
Monte Melkonian started off as a terrorist and that is what keeps me from having full respect for him.


Arvestaked, have you read the book? Or, should I say, what have you read on him?

#13 Arvestaked

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Posted 10 August 2005 - 04:39 PM

QUOTE (archakhper @ Aug 10 2005, 02:30 PM)
I don't know about the rest of you guys, but this is the book I had been waiting for since I was about 14 years old.  If you look into this genre of literature there are a lot of exciting texts about the national heroes / literature of oppression / stories of struggle of other groups available in English, but this is the first really explosive, inspirational and powerful thing like this to appear in English for Armenians.  I'm trying to get every Armenian youth I know to read it.
Arvestaked, have you read the book?  Or, should I say, what have you read on him?


I read a summarized biography by his brother and maybe, incidentally, another short bio from another source. I also asked an opinion of my father who, relatively, has done quite a bit of research on terrorism in general. From what it seems to me, it's all well and good that he was well-educated and that he died fighting for Gharapagh, but there were actions in between that I cannot fully respect.

#14 Nakharar

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Posted 11 August 2005 - 01:58 AM

Hero aside, what puts a great stain on Monte is that he killed that Turkish man and his daughter in Athens. That's not the same thing as fighting on a battlefield in Artsakh. Just cold-blooded murder.

#15 archakhper

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Posted 11 August 2005 - 11:12 AM

QUOTE (Nakharar @ Aug 11 2005, 12:58 AM)
Hero aside, what puts a great stain on Monte is that he killed that Turkish man and his daughter in Athens. That's not the same thing as fighting on a battlefield in Artsakh. Just cold-blooded murder.



When you say something like "Hero aside" it leads me to believe that you have little understanding of the impact of the Artsakh war and Monte's impact on the Artsakh War.

We refer to it as the war for Artsakh, but this title is misleading since it was really a war for national survival. The Azeri plan was to press clear across Artsakh, into Zangezour and unify with Nakhichevan (which is also Historic Armenian land, but has effectively been depopulated of its Armenians).

The impact Monte had in this war, was immeasurable. There are instances that his brother could not recount in the book, where Monte's prior experience in Lebanon was of paramount importance to the Armenian forces.

Yes, as anyone, Monte made mistakes...and that incident with the young girl was tragic and weighed heavily on him; however, the father was a legitimate target.

If you look at Monte's treatment of prisoners of war and civilians in the warzone, you will see that this one incident was not indicative of his personality / character / ethics. The incident with the diplomat and his daughters was one of his greatest failures in fact.

However, one life taken in errant haste can not outweigh thousands of lives saved in calculated and passionate struggle against seemingly insurmountable odds.

#16 MosJan

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Posted 11 August 2005 - 02:12 PM

Monte has paid for his mistakes – he has served his time for his wrongdoing

#17 Aaron

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Posted 18 August 2005 - 02:07 PM

I just finished the book "my brother's road". Very inspiring and also emotional at the end. Monte's mother saying after his death "what a waist, what a great man he could have been had he continued his studies as an archeologist" and seeing later on the 100 000 mourners in Erevan, she had changed her mind and rightly refered to her son as a "national hero". This reaction is understandable, all moms want their kids to have a quiet and comfortable life!

I did, and still am doing, a lot of personal thinking about the book and Monte's life. It is as if it got me questioning on many things about myself and people surrounding me (including hyeforum members).

I mean people on this forum have so much interest in Armenia and armenians in general (at least the ones writing in the political, artsakh and other related topics), I'm sure these people (you guys and girls) also follow the news from Armenia almost daily just like me, that we all feel like doing things for our nation and that our intentions are very good and sincere ....... but we don't know what to do to contribute efficiently (I'm included in all this)! Moreover, we'll have to figure that out soon in order to make the distinction between real commitment and part time hobbie or interest, and live our lives consequently! Monte did this, and lived it the way he saw it!

Can you imagine being in front of internet screens 30-40 years from now, having done nothing for the armenians (diaspora or homeland) and just taking the news and making comments on the forum passively. Travelling to armenia once in a while, eating khorovats, watching ararat, etc. It would be frustrating, not having done anything concrete for something that you have a huge interest for, it's like killing a part of you in order to be "reasonable" and "normal". I'm not talking about doing what Monte did, thank god we have a country, and a million different ways to contribute to it, and I'm still not mentioning all that can be done in the diaspora!

This guy (monte) had guts and brains ..... to the point he might have been considered crazy, and I think he is extremely, unimaginably lucky to have reached the age of 35 with the kind of life he lived. The fact that he entered the books of Armenian history as a legend is indisputable. To me he is in the same league as Vartan mamigonian, Tavit peg, Antranig, and Vazgen Sarkisian (maybe more, call me an idealist, i don't care). Quoting a yerevantsi: "the best god we ever had" is enough to understand what he meant to them. My family in yerevan who are not particularly nationalist or expressive when it comes to armenian leaders (military or political), told me they and their entire building was crying when news came of Monte's death!

In sum, the book allowed some decent soul searching in my case. I definitely recommend it to anyone, I hope it's doing good on the sales scene. I shall write later and would really appreciate your thoughts on all of this!

A.

#18 phantom22

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Posted 18 August 2005 - 03:08 PM

Aaron,

I have sent money to Armenian causes in Armenia, and have luckily seen positive results of my donations. I have also visited Armenia and have spent tourist dollars there.

As for going there and making a personal contribution toward improving the country, it just won't happen. I have worked in a career similar to Monte's and could make a contribution, but I can not re-enter Armenia until a Western European type Armenian leader emerges. I wait for that day.

Edited by phantom22, 18 August 2005 - 03:15 PM.


#19 Aaron

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Posted 19 August 2005 - 12:41 PM

I understand what you mean. By the way, I don't doubt that people are dedicated to the nation and I definitely didn't imply that people on this forum are not doing anything for it. It's just that I don't know where this is headed, what is the big picture? Sending money to armenia until a wester type leader emerges is in the minds of all of us ..... basically because of poor leadership in Armenia! What if that leader never emerges? Monte didn't wait for a leader to emerge! Maybe it should emerge from the diaspora? maybe one of us (generally speaking) could do that job someday!

I don't want to criticize anyone, and I'm as confused as others on this issue! they're just questions that I'm asking myself!

thanks for the reply

R.

#20 phantom22

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Posted 19 August 2005 - 01:35 PM

Aaron,

I think that it is best that the leadership emerge from the diaspora. The governmental apparatus in the ROA is too much a leftover from Soviet days.
Greece, Georgia, Latvia, Israel have all had excellent leaders from their diaspora.

When Kocharian retires, a diaspora Armenian is waiting in the wings. More like him should emerge and pull the ROA toward the West. I can not envision the ROA drifting toward the Islamic world, which is increasingly becoming a series of theocracies, or remaining as a province of Russia.

Edited by phantom22, 19 August 2005 - 02:01 PM.





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