On August 20 a group of U.S. cadets escorted by instructors, officers of the Defence Cooperation Office of the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, and their colleagues from the LITHAF Air Base visited the Memorial of the February 16 Declaration of Independence - the base of the Liberation Movement of Lithuania (Radviliškio Distr.).
Cadets delegated by various U.S. universities study at the Lithuanian Military Academy under the United States Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) programme. Chief Specialist for International Cooperation of the Air Base MSgt Alvydas Tamošiūnas delivered and interactive and concise presentation on the interwar resistance activities, demonstrated guerrilla fighters' equipment and ammunition.
The guests from the United States of America continued their visit in the historical bunker where the owner of the homestead and the eyewitness of the events Julijona Mikniūtė - Petrėnienė told about the facts of 1949. The guests were interested in various aspects: how long it took to install the bunker and for how long it was used, how the involved persons managed to maintain the secrecy of the guerrilla meeting. The cadets were particularly interested in and surprised about the courage and motivation it had taken not to be scared off by the impending punishment of the Soviet special and repressive services to collaborate so directly and closely with guerrilla fighters.
Upon a farewell the guests thanked heartily for and interesting lesson of the history of Lithuania and an interactive presentation. It was the first visit of such a numerous U.S. delegation in the base of the Liberation Movement of Lithuania.
The visit of the U.S. cadets in Lithuania is a part of the Culture Understanding and Language Proficiency programm,(CULP).
Photos by MSgt Alvydas Tamošiūnas, Augustina Tamošiūnaitė
