Our Mission
The Chicago Veterans Association is a group of veterans who share their stories about what they experienced during their time in the war. They want people to understand what it cost to win this war and why we fight for freedom today. With this knowledge, you can appreciate the beauty and meaning of this victory, and never forget what it cost.
History of Association
The Association was founded over 30 years ago and has more than 1600 members at that time, all Russian-speaking immigrants from the former Soviet Union.The first-ever mention of World War II veteran's association presence in Chicago was mentioned in an essay in the National Association of Disabled Persons and Veterans of WWII in New York back in 1970.
The Chicago Veterans Association was an informal status for two years of voluntary labor from a group of enthusiasts led by a future president, Abram Lindenboim.
The Association was officially registered in 1992, and at its first meeting in 1992, the WWII Veterans Association was announced. A club named "Search" was created, headed by Simon Spector, with the primary goal of conducting searches for individuals with unique biographies and their exposure to the local Russian-speaking community. A. Lindenboim reached out to S. Spector with a proposition to locate and register local WWII veterans, and the club responded positively and joined in their efforts.
Simultaneously, A.Lindenboim reached out to the president of the National Association of Veterans in New York S.Kommissar who officially charged A.Lindenboim, on behalf of the central office of the Association, with the creation of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Disabled Persons and Veterans in September of 1991 providing an interim Articles of Association, account forms, checks, membership forms and other necessary documentation for chapter activities.
First, enthusiasts gathered and expressed a desire to help create the Association, themselves being longtime residents of Chicago: veterans Lily Winedorf, Naum Winer, Leonid Merzlyak, Michael Ferdman, Mark Gnesin, later joined by Abram Tulman, Michael Polin, Gregory Putievski, David Chernyahovskiy, and Vladimir Evelenko. They, led by A.Lindenboim and S.Spector, firmed the org committee creating the Chicago Veterans Association.
The org-committee has received a substantial amount of help even before its creation from the director of the local Russian Cultural Center - Bernard Horwich J.C.C., Michael Soll, F.R.E.E. Synagogue and its newspaper "Shalom", veterans of war Markus Melnik, Norman, and Irina Buchingoltz and others.
On May 31, 1992, 180 veterans were registered at the first organizational conference, 120 of which were present at Bernard Horwich J.C.C. The meeting ratified the proposed Articles of Incorporation and elected its leadership, thus forming the Chicago Association of Veterans of WWII, migrants from the U.S.S.R.
A.Lindenboim was unanimously elected President of the Association, D.Chernyahovskiy as vice-president, and the org-committee members V.Evelenko, L. Winedorf, N.Wiener, M.Gnesin, L.Merzlyak, M.Polin, G.Putievskiy, A.Lulman, M.Ferdman, and S.Spector joined the Board of Directors. A.Mafter as chairman of the auditing committee.
