Monte Melkonian’s birth anniversary to be marked in Glendale

[MosJan]

Monte Melkonian’s birth anniversary to be marked in Glendale

 

 

November 20, 2012 - 11:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - A program celebrating the life and legacy of famed Armenian commander Monte Melkonian will be taking place on Friday, December 7, 2012, in Glendale Public Library, on the occasion of what would have been his 55th birthday.

Melkonian, a California native, was an intellectual and a freedom fighter who dedicated his life to the national-liberation struggle of the Armenian nation. He played a key role in the liberation of a part of Armenia - Artsakh - and was awarded the title of National Hero of the Republic of Armenia.

The event will feature the premiere of a documentary prepared by Hayrenaser, which reflects on Monte’s role in the liberation of Artsakh and the significance of his liberated territories.

Political scientist and historian Dr. Armen Ayvazyan will present a comparative analysis, drawing parallels between the rebellion of the 1720’s in the Artsakh-Syunik region led by Davit Bek and the meliks of Artsakh and the actions of the Armenian commanders, particularly Monte, in the most recent liberation war in Artsakh.

Singers Armen Movsisyan and Hovhannes Shahbazyan will enrich the evening with their performances, while an exhibit will showcase photographs dedicated to Artsakh’s liberated regions of Kashatagh and Karvachar.

The event is organized by Hayrenaser organization, which has a mission to contribute to the preservation and development of Armenia’s independent statehood by identifying and addressing critical challenges.

[Yervant1]

Monte Melkonian: "Reality is Often Bitter"

 

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/20885/monte-melkonian-reality-is-often-bitter.html

01:36, November 25, 2012

 

Here are some excerpts of letters written by Monte Melkonian to his wife Seta.

 

In light of current issues in Armenia and Diaspora once again I ponder

about Monte's timeless thoughts. Here are just a few...(S.M.)

 

`I wrote that I was very eager to talk with you in depth about our

people's situation today. I said there were very many bitter and sad

realities we had to understand. Yes, hokis, reality is often bitter

but nevertheless it is reality we have to look it straight into the

face, live through it, and someday change it. Until we change it we

have to do many things we'd prefer not doing; we have to be

responsible and politically realistic. When we're together I'll

explain as best I can, and I'm sure you'll understand. The fact is

that an enormous amount of people do very bad things- things that are

against our people's true interests- without even knowing it. Many of

them are even convinced they're doing something good and necessary.

This is the case not only with Tashnaks, but also with most Ramgavars

and Henchaks. That's how it is that some of the nicest and most

patriotic people have led our Diaspora into this terrible situation

over 70 years. Without political clear mindedness the people with the

best intentions can do a lot of harm. In one of your letters years and

years ago you remarked that I was a very demanding (Õ - Õ½Õ¿Õ¡ÕºÕ¡Õ°Õ¡Õ¶Õ»)

person. Yes, at least in the patriotic issues I am because I take our

people, our homeland and our future very, very seriously. No one has

the right to not be a demanding person.

 

¦our Diaspora is in a terribly bad situation. Worse than we think at

first sight. Despite all this we must find a way to push forward. We

must create a hard working positive trend that will overcome the

difficulties one-by-one. It will be very hard, but we must do it.

 

My dear, while writing all of this, another subject has come to my

mind: that of emotions and serious work. You know I am really very

full of emotions- love for you, our people, our homeland, our family,

for all of mankind, for nature, for knowledge; and hatred for the

enemies of all the above. Believe me, my emotions are very intense.

But at the same time I realize, that to do anything constructive and

good I must control my emotions. This is not at all easy, and I don't

always succeed. (In the special case of my love for you I don't even

want to `control' it [¦.] But you're a very special case) However, as

far as possible I do try to control things since I know it is

absolutely necessary in any serious work. Sometimes it's like torture

but we have to do it anyway. I have seen many Armenians (and not

Armenians) blinded by emotions which have led them into irrational

actions. We must learn to be intelligent, thinking logical human

beings. We must learn to control our emotions and if possible find

ways to use these emotions to reinforce our work, instead of

misguiding or confusing us. We must do this because we must take

ourselves seriously. Seta, you and I have an enormous amount to give

to each other. We also have a lot to give to our people (perhaps even

to other peoples) [¦.] Our life will be one big difficult, wonderful

whole. We must create.

 

19-20 November, 1988

[Arpa]

RIP Monte Mama

Zabel Melkonian, mother of Armenian national hero “Monte” passed away today at the age of 92.

I had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Melkonian when I visited the States last May. After our meeting, I jotted down the following notes

Se the rest here;

http://hetq.am/eng/articles/21388/monte%E2%80%99s-mother-passes-away-in-california--reminiscences-of-our-meeting.html

Edited December 10, 2012 by Arpa

[MosJan]

Astavts Hogini Lusavori

[MosJan]

Monte’s Mother Passes Away in California: Reminiscences of Our Meeting

 

Edik Baghdasaryan

 

 

http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2012/12/21388.jpg 01:10, December 10, 2012

 

Zabel Melkonian, mother of Armenian national hero “Monte” passed away today at the age of 92.

I had the opportunity to meet with Mrs. Melkonian when I visited the States last May. After our meeting, I jotted down the following notes.

I met up with Monte’s brother Markar in the afternoon. We drove to Fresno in Markar’s beat-up jeep. The plan was to have lunch at one of the local Armenian restaurants. They were all closed or had gone out of business. Fresno was a sad little town. Even the Armenian church was closed. This was the same Armenian church where General Antranig was laid to rest in 1927. As a young boy, William Saroyan worked selling newspapers in Fresno. Markar told me that he had spotted Saroyan several times strolling down the streets of Fresno. A theatre was names in Saroyan’s honor. Today, Fresno is a changed town. I saw nothing of the Fresno Saroyan wrote about decades ago. Just a few old buildings awaiting the wrecking ball. Markar tells me about how he and Monte would walk around Fresno as kids. “It’s amazing to think that we walked these hot asphalt streets barefoot,” Markar recounts.

It’s a sweltering day in Fresno. There’s just the odd pedestrian out and about. We never found a place to have lunch. We walk to the Armenian cemetery. Markar tells me a few stories about the Armenians of Fresno. Armenians first arrived here back in the 1880s. Monte’s mother Zabel would later tell me that hers was the first Armenian family to settle in California.

The only interesting spot in Fresno is the statute of Sassountsi Davit. It’s the work of sculptor Varaz Samuelyan. During WWII, Samuelyan was a soldier from Soviet Armenia who was captured by the Germans. He eventually made his way to America, to Fresno.

Leaving Fresno, we travel to Visalia, the place where Monte was born. It was a small town of 20,000 when Monte was born in 1955. Today, it was ballooned to 120,000. Monte spent his childhood here. The house where he lived is still here. It’s where his mother Zabel lives. She’s reached the ripe old age of 92. She has trouble walking but her memory remains sharp. After reaching the house, Zabel tell Markar to show me some of Monte’s belongings.

Zabel tells me about the Taekwondo sword and costume that Monte brought back from Japan. Markar confesses that he and Monte were two “crazy kids” growing up. “I would always be afraid hanging around with Monte. We were always getting into trouble of some sort or another,” Markar tells me.

Markar tell me about the time Monte went to the store and began to uncap tens of Coca-Cola bottles. He came home with the bottle caps stuffed in his pockets. Marker says that Monte told him that Coca-Cola was doing a promotion. “Whoever sends in twenty bottle caps will win a bicycle,” Markar remembers Monte saying.

“Monte sent in the twenty bottle caps a few times but never won anything. He was pretty mad,” Markar says.

We then went down to the riverbank. Markar showed me the hills and forest where the two played as kids. Marker shows me the spot where Monte dived in, breaking his nose and a few teeth.

That night, I slept in Monte’s old room, in his bed. Markar and I had spent a long evening reminiscing about Monte.

Markar told me about Monte’s time in Beirut, in the Palestinian camps, in prison, in Artsakh. They were stories that Markar never wrote about in his book “My Brother’s Road”.

Sleeping in the bed of my fallen war comrade, I realized just how much I missed him.

[MosJan]

Commander Monte Melkonian’s mother dies at 92

 

http://media.pn.am/media/issue/136/669/photo/136669.jpg

http://static.pn.am/images/cmnts.gifDecember 10, 2012 - 18:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Famed Armenian commander Monte Melkonian’s mother Zabel Melkonian passed away at 92 today, Dec 10, ASALA veteran said.

As Vazgen Sislyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the venue for Ms. Melkonian’s funeral service has not been specified yet.

Zabel Melkonian’s was reported to complain of ill health in the recent years.

[MosJan]

Armenian President condoles on death of Monte Melkonian’s mother

 

http://media.pn.am/media/issue/136/721/photo/136721.jpg

December 10, 2012 - 21:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan issued a letter of condolence over the death of national hero Monte Melkonian’s mother Zabel Melkonian.

Zabel Melkonian passed away at 92 today, December 10