Andranik: The Death of the Hero (1/2)

Dr. Antranig Chalabian, who was my maternal uncle, was endearingly called “Antranigaked -Անդրանիկագետ), which means someone who has expert knowledge about Andranik who was born on February 25, 1865. Attached is an excerpt from the last chapter - "The Death of the Hero" of Antranig Chalabian’s book, “General Andranik and the Armenian Revolutionary Movement” that has been translated in a few languages.

“Friends in California encouraged Andranik to try farming, tending vineyards, or working in the fruit packing industry. He tried these activities but could not work steadily, because his health was failing. Andranik became weaker and weaker, even less active, and still lower in spirits. Maybe due to chain-smoking and excessive consumption of coffee, he began having heart trouble. He made trips to Boston in hopes of finding a cure, but all the treatments were ineffective.

In March, 1927, Reverend Father Garegin Tevletian paid a visit to Andranik in Fresno. Reminiscing about the past Andranik said, “Father Garegin, we did more (in connection with liberation) than the Bulgarians, the Serbians, and the Greeks did, but we had no luck and no friends. If the Bolshevik revolution had come one year later, Turkish Armenia would have been liberated.”

That same spring while in Boston, Andranik had a serious heart attack. In order to prevent his patient from worrying, the Armenian doctor told Andranik that the heart attack was due to a cold.

Another morning he had a mild heart attack. Friends brought the doctor, who advised the patient to limit his coffee intake to one or two cups per day and not to smoke more than five cigarettes per day. Andranik drank two cups of coffee and smoked five cigarettes while the doctor was still in the room. Then turning to the doctor, he said, “The result of advice cannot be better.”

Andranik was a commander, accustomed to exercising authority. He was used to ordering his soldiers to do certain tasks. He expected that the doctor would also order him to quit smoking entirely and strictly forbid his drinking coffee or brandy.

Back in 1923, when Avedis Terzipashiab was in Tiblisi, he paid a visit to Hovhannes Toumanian. The poet asked about Andranik’s health. The visitor answered, “It’s deteriorating”. Toumanian said, “The only thing Andranik can be afraid is to be afraid that he might be afraid.”

Toumanian’s insight into Andranik’s character was borne out having lived all his adult life under the threat of death, the dauntless warrior was now waging his final battle against death.  He complained to Nevart that this time the pain was persisting. He made a final request: “If this pain ends my life, don’t leave my body in foreign lands. Take me to Armenia.” Seeing Nevart nearly suffocating from trying to hold back her tears and control her emotions, he continued: “If that proves to be impossible, take my body to Varna (Bulgaria) an bury me near my sister’s grave.” (Nazeli, Antranik’s sister had died three months earlier.)

Sixty years before, when Antranik was only one year old, his mother Mariam, lay on her death-bed. She called Nazeli over to her and said: “Nazeli don’t let my Andranik be an orphan.” Fulfilling her wish, both children lived long and full lives. 

After expressing his wish for eternal rest, Andranik uttered his last words: “My work remains half finished.” Then Andranik collapsed and closed his eyes forever. The date was August 31, 1927. 

The fact that Andranik had long expected to be buried in Armenia is proven by his first remarks on the subject. Andranik had spoken about death for the first time in 1917 in a conversation with Levon Tutunjian, editor of Hayastan. “Levon,” he has said, “we’ll transfer our printing press to the Holy Apostles’ Monastery in Armenia. I want to die there and be buried at the foot of the Holy Translators’ grave, not that I deserve to be buried there, but rather as a solider guarding the graves of the great men who lit the torch that kept our nation alive for centuries.”