HERO OF THE GAME We are proud and humbled to announce that our brother and Hero of Ukraine, Colonel Mark Paslawsky of New Jersey and Ukraina, will be honored as the Hero of the Game by the New Jersey Devils and everyone attending the Ukrainian Heritage Night on December 6th. Mark Paslawsky, 55, grew up in New Jersey and settled in his Ukrainian homeland upon its independence and followed in his father’s footsteps to defend its land. He was killed on August 19 in the Donbas war and buried in Kyiv overlooking the Dnipro River. Mark was honored with a National Guard funeral, attended by members of his Donbas battalion, as well as several hundred other mourners. Mark graduated in 1981 from the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Army Rangers until he was 32 years old, achieving the rank of Colonel. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Monmouth University in New Jersey. He moved to Ukraine in 1992, earning his first job working for a Donbas oligarch bringing aluminum oxide to Ukraine for his aluminum production. Thereafter he and a friend launched the Rosava grain-growing company. Colonel Paslawsky was active in the Euro-Maidan, aiding injured protesters at St. Michael Cathedral. In January he joined fighters in launching the National Guard in response to the first killings of protesters. He visited his family in the U.S. after the Euro-Maidan in May, sharing his experiences and confided in his brother that he was going to fight in the war. He was in the thick of the most intense fighting on Instytutska Street between February 18 and 20, where he witnessed dozens slain by police gunfire. Mark was a great military expert and while himself training to fight, filled his backpack with rocks of a particular weight and ran so that he could rescue himself in war. He was mentally prepared, careful in battle, and confident he would avoid a bullet. Mark was modest, not discussing his experience and rank in the U.S. military, and using only the arms, equipment and food that his colleagues had available. Mark’s three wounds came from a grenade that blew up from behind, hitting him in the back. Three other Donbas Battalion members were killed the same day, Colonel Paslawsky was honored by the National Guard with a gun salute. It became obvious that he was born American but died Ukrainian. Fortunately for Ukraine, a son of Ukraine was left in the homeland of his parents, grandparents and forebears. He is a true hero and heroes never die.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 12:58:23 +0000
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