Any Armenians here? I have some questions about "Old Armenia."

[alfredo]

What is considered old Armenia?

[Bobbieo]

1. I'm not Armenian but have several first generation friends. I do

believe the Armenian refugees came to America during or just after WW1 when Turkey invaded their land.

[alfredo]

3. My family came from Eastern Europe, Prussia to be exact. It appears

they have been there since the early 1600's. That could coincide with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. There was freedom of travel within the empire.

[SteppingRazor]

2. I believe that refers to the pre-USSR country called Armenia...

but I could be wrong. While part of the USSR, Armenia was part of a larger socialist state that included Armenia and its neighbors that were under Soviet rule. So, there technically wasn't an independent Armenian country then. Old Armenia, then, would be the last time there was an actual nation-state by that name (between WWI and WWII).

[alfredo]

4. There was an Armenian empire.

They say there is a region with my surname. I know there is one region/town in Iran with our surname, but it appears it is not within the Armenian empire. I have yet found the region in Armenia that bears my name. My dad mentioned us being from an "enclave." That could mean Nagorno-Karabakh.

[rabs]

5. Once met an Armenian young lady, in, of all places, Buenos Aires

Her family used to talk about the Armenian diaspora and of the rich Armenian history in general. My ancestors came from Iberia around 400 ago.

Primer for DUers unfamiliar with Armenia.

http://www.armeniaemb.org/DiscoverArmenia/History/History.htm

An off-topic query: I seem to remember the other day you had an avatar with a hand holding lighting bolts. If not, disregard this question.

[alfredo]

6. Yes, I did. It's the ASA patch, or as we called it:

The lightning fast chicken fucker.


The Armenians are everywhere. The Ottoman Empire wasn't that nice to us.

[rabs]

7. That patch flew off the screen at me

Greetings from this former 982.10 TA. :hi

Any other "Top Ten Percenters" on DU?

[HillWilliam]

8. Yup. Another lightening fast chickenfucker here

330th ASA AVN.

Been a long time. We're still around.

[rabs]

9. To stay on the Armenian issue, well, at least there is one ASAer

and that is alfredo.

Greeting HillWilliam.

In my case: Leonard Wood >>> Devens >>> Ops. Co. USASA Support Element at the Puzzle Palace.

That was way back when the Big Bad Bear was the enemy and way before the Bushies sicced the Puzzle Palace on the American people.

[alfredo]

11. Ft Jackson then Devens, then off to Kagnew Station.

A whole chapter in Michela Wrong's "I didn't Do it for You" is about the gross guys at Kagnew.

http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/ethiopia/eritrea.htm

There was another Armenian at Kagnew, but he left right after I got there. I guess the station was too small for more than one Armenian.

[alfredo]

10. ditty bopper 05H20. 65-69 Kagnew Station

[rabs]

13. Do not mean to hijack Armenian issue but one final post

Has there ever been a thread on former ASAers on DU? There are some very smart people on DU and would expect there are more than a few ex-ASAers, AFSSers, NSGers.

Recall we used to get a lot of traffic from Sinop; memory hazy on Kagnew (Did it have another name previously?)

Re ditty boppers, we once busted a ditty bop msg to the air force guys in the Aleutians. It said "Merry Christmas to the men at Adak." AFSS guys were instructed not to reply, because it would have tipped off the other guys that we had busted their code.

But best not say too much, the big ear may be listening/watching.

[alfredo]

14. Sinop's main attraction was the Armenian graveyard.

Kagnew was known as Radio Marina a long time ago.


Shemya Alaska most likely. The guys up there didn't have much in the way of a social life off post.


Are you still in touch with any veterans from your duty station? We have a very good mailing list. If they were listening in they will only read a bunch of fuck you's and stories of wild exploits.

[montanto]

12. As I understand it Old Armenia is

more of a geographical thing. Areas to the north on the Caspian and Black seas. As I understand it there really isn't anything called Armenia. Armenians call it Hayastan.

[alfredo]

15. Maybe the UN should have given the Armenians a new homeland, maybe

San Diego.

Country borders change so much, and whole family groups move and it makes finding ties nearly impossible.