All of the data that members of this and other lists have sent me indicate that the Slovaks were among the most duty conscious of all the northern A-H citizens. I have copies of passports or military passbooks for more than one who went to the Slovak Consulate or Embassy in 1914 to report his whereabouts after arriving in the US in case the A-H Army wanted to recall him. I don't know if any of the same men ever volunteered for or were drafted into the US Army in 1917 or later. Love of homeland drew many back to Bohemia and Slovakia after they came to the US. There were cases of German Bohemian women who left their husbands on their new farms and went back to their home villages because they were so homesick. I believe that the Heimatbrief published the story of a man named Kramper who went to a large farm that had alread been started by his uncle Peter. He stayed there (near Sioux Falls, SD) for a little more than two years when he became seriously ill. The doctor decided that it was a severe case of homesickness and the farmer gave up his land to his uncle and went back to Bohemia. The uncle Peter was the great grandfather of my college classmate, Patricia Kramper. My husband is from Shenanadoah, PA, where there was a large settlement of Slovak miners. There is still a beautiful Slovak church there. I hope the locals are able to keep it open as an historic place. The diocese has already closed the Lithuanian church (and torn it down) in the same town because it would cost too much to renovate it. They also said there were too many churches in the town for the present population and the Lituanians could go to the Polish church. It was the oldest Lithuanian community church in the US and a good example of American gothic. The walls and ceilings were completely covered with paintings, Lithuanian prayers in old Gothic stencils. and blue ceilings spattered with golden stars in the side aisles and other features that made it an experience just to go inside . My husband's maternal grandfather was Lithuanian. We at the old church for Mass a few days after Lithuania became independent from Russia. The pews were full and everyone was in their "Sunday best". After Mass I saw a man kiss the Lithuanian flag that hung near one of the side altars. Maybe the Slovak communities around the country need to register their churches as national historic monuments in order to preserve them. Karen In a message dated 6/3/2010 7:53:20 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: My Slovak grandparents got out before WWI. We should all be thankful as Americans that we don't have to choose between such horrific evils. German-Bohemian Heritage Society web site http://www.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message