Hovhannes Apelian about Tro

Vahe H. Apelian 

When I read that the legendary Trasdamat Ganayan had passed away today, on March 8, 1956, I was reminded of my father. 

My father passed away on July 18, 2007 in Los Angeles. He was a life long member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation where the only post he held was that of Khmpabed (Խմբապետ) that is to say the unger in charge of their local ARF group. Theirs was one of the smaller ARF groups in Beirut as it covered the coastal area where a few Armenian families resided, as it was close to the densely commercial area of greater Beirut, in close proximity to the the seaport. 

But their few membered group, that held their meeting at times in the inn, Hotel Lux, that my father ran, was in complete awareness of their area. They knew where the Armenian families resided and when it came to the election they appealed to the families to cast their votes in favor of the ARF and offered them transportation to the local voting booth. He  also took the responsibility of overseeing the local voting booth. It appeared that two prominent ARF ungers were also part of their group. But by the time I became conscious of my father's affiliation with ARF,  Tro had long deceased and I would not expect that Vratsian attended such meetings.

In February of 2007, the gomideyoutiun my father belonged, honored their veteran ungers who had served the ARF ranks for fifty plus years. He was among them. In fact he was the eldest unger of their gomideyoutiun, the Kristapor Gomideyoutiun of the San Fernando valley in Los Angeles. I remember him telling me that during the last general meeting the gomideyoutun held, he, as the most senior unger, was invited to preside the opening of that meeting and call the ungers that their year end general meeting was now open and will soon be in session and had invited the ungers to elect their tivan, the temporary committee of two, consisting of a chairperson and a secretary, who would preside over the general meeting as the gomideh would have tended its resignation and would be facing their ungers evaluate their year long activity and render their judgement of appreciation or criticism as to how well they had done the job  entrusted to them during the past year. This had been the normal conduct since get go.

In 2007, my father was in a nursing home bedridden. He was no longer able to take that few necessary steps in the house anymore. He had told my mother that he did not want to miss the function. I had to make arrangement with a hospital van and for an assistance to dress him up and escort him from his bed in the nursing home to the van and then to the table. I flew to Los Angeles to attend the function as well. That was my last get together with him. 

Each of the honoree was asked to write a brief autpbiography and indicate who among the ARF leaders had impressed each the most. The attached is what was written about him, surely upon his dictation, in the booklet Kristapor Gomideyoutiun had preapred for the occasion honoring their veteran ungers. 

“Unger Hovhannes Apelian had joined the ARF rank in 1945 (he was born in 1921 in Keurkune, Kessab), in Beirut. Unger Vahan Papazian (Goms) had acted the  godfather of his cermeonial taking the ARF vows.

For many years he had served as the Khmabed. Unger Tro and Unger Simon Vratsian had been members of their group.

Along with other duties, during elections the safeguarding of the local voting booth had been entrusted to him.

In the United States he had also joined the Hamazkain Cultural and Educational Association in New Jersey and for 12 years had acted as its co-chairman.

The modesty and the good nature of Unger Trastamad Ganayan have left an indelible impression upon him. For a while they had lived in close proximity to each other and  unger Hovhannes had diligently followed his senior ranking unger Tro’s suggestions and directives”

My father was buried in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. One of the largest cemeteries in the country maybe. Many of the ungers of Kristapor Gomideyoutiun attended his funeral. They wrapped his coffin with the ARF red flag, I keep to this day, and sang that heart wrenching song, Վերքելով Լի – Verkerov Lee (Ladden With Wounds) as they bid farewell to the their most senior unger in their ranks.