TOMS RIVER – More than a dozen members of the Central New Jersey Chapter of American Lithuanian Community gathered at the Ocean County Administration building on Saturday to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Loreta Garettson, a Manahawkin resident, joined the gathering with her husband, mother and two young daughters. She explained why she and other Lithuanian immigrants felt such passion about supporting Ukraine from attacks.
“We know Russian aggression,” said Garettson. “We were occupied for fifty years during and after World War II. Our generation represents the third wave of immigration from Lithuania to the United States. We were still born in occupied Lithuania and lived as a part of the USSR.”
Belarus sits between Lithuania on its northern border and Ukraine on its southern border. According to international news reports, the Lithuanian president signed a decree calling for a state of emergency until at least March 10th.
Garettson said that she and others from her native country are fearful that the Russians will further their attacks into Lithuania.
“We know some of our people who are willing to go to fight under the Ukrainian flag,” Garretson said.
A tearful Loreta Balcaitiene of Jackson made the conflict closer to home as she shared conversations with family members hidden in the basement of their residence. Although Balcaitiene immigrated to the United States from Lithuania 21 years ago, her mother had family from Ukraine. Several of her cousins still live there.
“My family is in Bojarka, which is 20 km (12.4 miles) from Kiev,” shared Balcaitiene. “There are seven of them sitting together in total darkness, who range in age from almost 12 to 78.”
Balcaitiene said she was able to speak with her family members by Skype and described the sound of bombs blasting in the background during their conversation.
According to Balcaitiene, authorities have set a 7 p.m. curfew for everyone to be inside. Nonetheless, most people resist going outside even during the daytime. The streets are eerily silent without the sounds of normal vehicular traffic.
One of Balcaitiene’s male cousins is 44 years old, who works as an engineer. The government has ordered all Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 to 60 to stay to defend their country.
“My cousin’s wife has refused to leave him behind,” Balcaitiene said. “She said they all need to stay together. They try to tell me not to worry, but that’s not possible.”
The direness of the situation includes empty food stores and barriers set up at minor checkpoints. During each of the three separate conversations Balcaitiene had with her relatives, she became startled by the loud sound of bombs in the background.
“A Russian girlfriend of mine called me to apologize and was crying,” shared Balcaitiene. “I reassured her that she didn’t do anything. Not all the Russian people are behind this.”
Kostas Mastakas, another Lithuanian immigrant who lives in Jackson, joined the rally to bring attention to the need for the world to support Ukraine. He termed Russia’s invasion as an old conflict with all of the old Soviet Union republics and expressed his mistrust of the country’s leadership.
“We don’t trust Putin or his regime,” said Mastakas. “He’s not going to stop, and we would like all the people in the world to know he’s not going to stop with just Ukraine. Putin is a dictator with no control and an anarchist.”
Meanwhile, Garettson supplied the names of two verified sites for those who want to make donations to Ukrainians in need. The Revived Soldiers Ukraine site can be accessed at rsukraine.org. Garettson said that donations are also being passed on by NGO Blue/Yellow with a site address of blue-yellow.it.
