Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
VOL. XXVIII. NO. 13. JULY 11, 1945 31 Scene from Portrait Presentation in Cleveland One of the most impressive portrait presentations was the one arranged in Cleveland, Ohio, on Memorial Day, May 30, 1945, at tK& Verhov aft TTömé on BtibKeye Rd. The portraits 'displayed on the stage are those of Louis Kaly, Arthur Szabó, Joseph Chernay, Edward Mészáros, and Martin Tokay, the five members of the Cleveland branches who paid the Supreme Sacrifice.1 Behind each portrait we see the parents of the heroes and other relatives. The group of these families is surrounded by the following: John Bencze, Supreme President, Coloman Revesz, Supreme Secretary, Julius Macker, Director; then Michael Simo, District Manager (in the middle and rear of the group), John Korosfoy, Director, Joseph Turner, Director, Emma Phillips, Deputy Auditor, John Szalanczy, Supreme Treasurer, Joseph Hegedűs, President of Branch 14 and Joseph Szalay, Vice-president of the V. F. I.-A..Sitting in the front, below the stage, is Judge Petrash at the left and Frank Pokorny, State Representative, who acted as Master of Ceremonies. The lady facing the stage and turning her back to the photographer, is Mrs. Szalanczy, wife of our Supreme Treasurer. Welcome, Captain Qyovail FRANK GYOVAI, member of Branch 482, Red Dragon, W. VAa., the pride of Whitesville, his hometown,... the erstwhile Private... who after the fall of Corregidor took to the jungly mountains of Luzon to fight with the natives against the Japanese for three long years until MacArthur’s victorious armies landed... — returned. FRANK GYOVAI—the pride of the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association ... who after three years of guerrilla warfare marched back into the American lines... clothed in rags, barefooted,. .. holding up the Star Spangled Banner which throughout these three years never touched the ground... singing with his five comrades ... the hero of Luzon’s guerrilla warfare—returned. FRANK GYOVAI—the pride of the American Hungarian miners of West Virginia ... the humble Private who, in recognition of his unparalleled determination and valor and heroic achievements, had been PROMOTED DIRECTLY TO THE RANK OF A CAPTAIN... the man who wrote his name into the history of Luzon . . the former Private and now CAPTAIN GYOVAI... arrived at home. CAPTAIN FRANK GYOVAI... the pride of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Gyovai, his parents . .. and his sister... their comfort in the loss of James Gyovay ... returned to embrace his father and mother and to look into their tearful eyes with his youthful, gleaming eyes that had seen so much suffering and so many victories. Whitesville,—his hometown—is feverishly preparing for the homecoming celebration to be arranged in his honor. All the groups and citizens of Whitesville follow the leadership of Louis Gall, manager of Branch 482, who is working with the committee to make this affair an occasion long to be remembered by the citizens and the miners of West Virginia... The date of the celebration has not been set yet. All we know is that it will be held sometimes in July. At the time when this is written. Captain Gyovai is at the capital of West Virginia, invited to appear before the Governor of the State. The date of the celebration depends on the schedule of the Governor who (Continued on Page 4) IMPRESSIVE PROGRAM AT GARY HONORS FIVE WHO DIED FOR COUNTRY A memorial celebration in honor of five heroic dead Verhovayans was held at Gary, W. Va., on June 24, Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. At this occasion the portraits of these heroe’s were unveiled following an address by Supreme President John Bencze. '“THE WELCH DAILY NEWS”, Welch, W. Va., published the following report on this memorable event. “VERHOVAY SOCIETY HOLDS MEMORIAL Fitting tribute to five young men who have paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country was paid Sunday afternoon at Gary by the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, in a ceremony sponsored by citizens of Hungarian origin. It was a touching scene as mothers of each of the five young men were called and presented individually with life-size, head and shoulder, full color pastel portraits of their sons. The portraits are the work of Hugh M. Poe, Pittsburgh artist, and the Verhovay society has presented 65 of these in recent months. The honored dead were. Pfc. Louis Forray, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Forray, of Filbert, died of wounds received in action in Italy; Pvt. Louis Tudor, son of Mrs. Mary Tudor, of Thorpe, killed in action in France on Sept. 9, 1944; Sgt. Joseph Holpe, «on of Mr. and Mrs. George Holpe, Filbert, killed in action in France on June 12, 1944; Cpl. George Bero, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bero, killed in action in Belgium on Dec. 16, 1944; and Pfc. Tony Cardea, son of Mrs. Nellie Cardea, of Welch, killed in action in Italy on Uov. 11, 1943. Each mother, in tears, took the life-size portrait into her arms as gently as years before she had tenderly held her hero son as a babe. Each gave her picture a motherly kiss, then bravely held her composure and said a few words of appreciation for the portrait. A hushed crowd of several hundred persons, relatives and friends of the family, attended the ceremonies, in the Gary high school gymnasium. 4 Michael Silagi, prominent Gary citizen of Hungarian origin, presided. making an introductory address and introducing speakers. The ceremony was presented from the stage which was centered by the five flag-draped portraits. Speakers and guests flanked the pictures on either side. T. J. MeParland, of Gary, general superintendent of the United States Coal and Coke Company operations there, praised the Verhovay association for sponsoring the service “to pay tribute to these five heroic sons who have fought and died so that we may live as free men and free women.” Mayor Gail T. Carter, of Welch, spoke briefly, expressing his appreciation for the privilege of attending, and paid tribute to the five heroic dead and members of their families. Presentation of the portraits was made by W'm. Steadman, assistant general superintendent and representative of Adkin Post No. 38, American Legion. Other speakers were Bencze Janos, Pittsburgh, supreme president of Verhovay; John Szalanczy, Pittsburgh, supreme treasurer; and Coleman Revesz, Pittsburgh, supreme secretary. Andrew Fay Fisher, editor of the Hungarian Miners’ Journal, Pittsburgh, was also present. A supper was held at the Employes Country Club in the evening. Gary high school band, directed by John Cempella, furnished Music.” (Unquote.) The memorial celebration in Gary, W. Va., receives a special significance from the fart that it was held in what is known as the mining district served perhaps by the greatest number of American miners of Hungarian origin. These heroes all were miners’ sons and when tribute was paid to them, the thought occurred to all Verhovayans that they were descendants of those 13 miners who founded the Verhovay 59 years ago in the middle of the great mining district of central Pennsylvania. The efforts of those 13 miners have brought amazing results in the subsequent development of the Association, enabling its membership to engage in the fraternal task of «nreading sympathy and comfort in such generous manner. At Gary, the blessings of the efforts of the founders came back to the miners in the form of lasting comfort and unceasing sympathy which found its symbol in the portraits presented to the sorrowing miner-families of Filbert, Thorpe, Gary, Hemphill, W. Va. We use this opportunity to again express our sympathy to (he mourning families, hoping that the portraits presented to them will render some measure of comfort. The following will complete the report published by the WELCH DAILY NEWS. In addition to the speakers mentioned, Director Andrew Dobos, of Columbus, O., a former manager of Branch 23 of Pocahontas, Va., attended the celebration and addressed the audience bidding farewell to his many friends in ths mining districts of Virginia and West Virginia. Louis Cincel, District manager, also was a guest on this occasion. Manager of Branch 32, Gary, W. Va., Mr. Joseph Magyar was one of the members of the Committee entrusted with the task of making the arrangements for the Memorial celebration. Mr. and Mrs. Magyar were the hosts to the visitors from Pittsburgh.
