JOSEPH KAZICKAS: ODYSSEY OF HOPE

The story of a Lithuanian immigrant's escape from communism to freedom in America and the return to his beloved homeland.
"... always pursue the maximum possible outcome in a situation ...". The statement is made by the former member of the resistance movement in Lithuania during the Second World War, a refugee in Germany, an immigrant to United States of America, a former academic and above all, a dedicated fighter for the independence of Lithuania:
Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas. The spirit in working was needed to manage what he has done
in business, in politics, and to assist in making the occupied country Lithuania a free country. He has met the all, the American Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald W. Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, William J. Clinton and George W. Bush.
All of them were told about the situation of his beloved country. The aim of the contacts were to make the country independent from the occupation made by the Soviet Union. A man of patience he is who has had this dream for so many years. The book : " Odyssey of Hope " is a personal report of his life. It is the story of a man
who never forgot the most important aim of his work: To make Lithuania a free country. He could have been a remote academic in USA or a selfish businessman with limited interests making more money for the rich. No. He was qualified for being a good businessman making many personal contacts with people working for the America government. He succeed in combining business matters with a sense of social responsibility missing to-day among those who are responsible for the development of finance of USA the last years. To make it possible to change the economic system in
Lithuania - transferring the economy of Lithuania from centralized planning to a free market system - he hired two experts from USA: Howard University Professor Lawrence Summers and Professor Andrei Shleifer from the University of Chicago. A splendid action. My question is: Why are we not doing this more often asking teachers
working for the elite universities to make the world better setting up plans for countries who are not doing well for the time being and so we all could join the programme improving the life standard for many poor people? A challenge to the castles of knowledge: The elite universities. Joseph Kazickas knew how it was to be poor. He knew very well how to live in fear in an occupied country. Access to education was the key to his progress. In year 1941 he received BA in Economics from the university of Vilnius, Lithuania. Thesis: " Collectivization of he Lithuanian Agriculture " and in 1951, Ph.D. from Yale University Graduate School. Thesis: " Sovietization of the Czechoslovakian Economy ". But he left the academic world to make it private business- and that is also an interesting story. Read the book and you will learn how hard he worked. You learn a lot by reading the book about how to communicate the men with different political opinions never to forget the main aim of making the contacts: Making a better life for the people of Lithuania. " ...always pursue the maximum possible outcome in a situation ..." but
you must add: It is time consuming and the cost is a problem. But the wish to make
a change to support millions of people - it is worth the cost and the work - so far
Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas - Business Leader and a philanthropist with office in New York
and Vilnius. Nice to read that a Norwegian is mentioned assisting setting up private companies in the country: Tore Bu is working for the Coca Cola Company.
By reading the personal report - " Odyssey of Hope " I understand the political problems of Lithuania and the problems of Latvia and Estonia too. I found the book in book shop in Vilnius last year during the annual conference of The Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council (BAAC). I searched for a book contenting positive attitudes to the development of the Baltic countries due to the many negative reports published the last ten years of my work for the audiovisual archives of the countries. A good book - I do recommend the book.

MART LAAR: DER VERGESSENE KRIEG. DIE BEWAFFNETE WIDERSTANDSBEWEGUNG IN ESTLAND 1944-1956

Mart Laar has written a book about the forgotten and secret war in Estonia during the Second World War. I got the book which is written in German, at the one of the seminars set up by The Baltic Audiovisual Archival Council (BAAC). It is a well-written book about a tragic history of Estonia. The country was occupied by both the
Russians and the Germans and then again by the Russians. Few of us know that Estonians also join the Finnish Army to fight the Russians. The soldiers were called the " Finnish Boys ". The choice was not easy for those who wanted to fight for an independent Estonia. The German Army recruited many soldiers. The alternative was to join the Finnish Army. During the Winter War (1939-40)some Estonians had joined the Finnish Army to fight the Russians. In 1943 men from Estonia went to Finland. About 1.973 Estonians enlisted in the new Infantry Regiment 200. The regiment was known as " Finnish boys " or " soomepoisid ". The resistance movement against the last Russian occupation was set up in the forests of Estonia. When the war was close to an end, many hoped that it was was possible to make the country free again. But the fight for independence was not finished in 1945. The forest brothers went on fighting hoping that the Western countries would make it possible to
rebuild an independent Estonia. No. The fight went on for years and many of the Estonian leaders were killed in actions. A photo is published by August Sabbe who went on living in the forest to 1978. Russian soldiers and secret agents went on fighting the " Forest brothers " called " criminals " and many had no choice anymore
than to fight to the bitter end and got killed by the Russian soldiers. A tragic war
and a war forgotten by the countries who won the WWII.

MART LAAR: ESTONIA IN WORLD WAR II

COMMENTS TO THE SMALL BOOK, A PHOTO, A NORWEGIAN SOLDIER AND THE ESTONIA IN WWII

Bergum was his name. Thorvald Sandli Bergum.Age: Nineteen years of age. The year is 1944.The date is February 26. The Norwegian SS-Sturmann Thorvald is killed in action fighting the Russian soldiers. The Norwegian soldier is unknown to me. No photo of the young soldier has been published. I do not know his face. But three photos of his destroyed grave at Kreenholm close to Narva in Estonia have I seen. After having read the book about Estonia and the Second World War, written by Mart Laar, I returned to page 36 to study a photo of destroyed graves. I knew I had seen the photo in one or another book. "... German Army Soldiers'graves and corpses. Narva front,February 1944...". The text is put above the photo to tell you about the content of the photo. Three graves are shown. The grave in the middle of the three is the destroyed grave to the young Norwegian soldier, Thorvald Bergum. He was killed at Vaivara, Estonia and he was a soldier in 11. SS-Division Nordland, 23. SS-Panzergrenadier-regiment Norge(Norway),company six. Information about him is published in the book: " De som falt. Nordmenn drept i tysk krigstjensete ", NRK Aktivum.2009. The book is written by the Norwegian NRK jounalist Eirik Veum in close coopertion with Geir Brenden.I have written a review of the book and I remembered the photo mentioned. The photo is also published in Eirik Veum's book on page 251.
But the text about the content of the photo differ. Soldiers from 11.SS-Division Nordland are buried at Kreenholm close to Narva where also the Headquarter for the
11.SS-Division Nordland and 23. SS-Panzergrenadierregiment Norge is situated. It is
not a nice picture and a view is not recommended for those of you whose nerves are not in shape for unpleasant impressions.But I recalled having seen the photo in another book? Correct. I attended a seminar in Oslo some years ago dealing with the problems of those who had sided with the German occupants of Norway 1940-44. The seminar was was a good one chaired by professor Hans Fredrik Dahl. I met two interesting persons at the seminar: Geir Brenden and Fredrik Jensen. Geir Brenden is
a photo collector. He has a private collection of pictures taken by Norwegians
fighting for the Germans. Many of the pictures are taken during the fight in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Fredrik Jensen from Oslo had volunteered for Regiment
Nordland but came to the division Das Reich. He won the highest German military decoration during the war: The German Cross in gold. After having being wounded, he
completed the officer-school in Bad Tølz, Germany.I asked him about the reason for risking his life fighting on the Eastern from knowing that Norway was allied to the Russians. "... The reason was his anti-communist attitude and the fear of the Russian
regime... and I was wounded more five times fighting the communists " he told me.
For his age he looked well and he is still defending his choice. Anyway I bought a
book at the seminar from Geir Brenden: " Nordmenn på Østfronten.Deres egen historie i
bilder " by Egil Ulateig and Geir Brenden. At page 110 I found the wanted picture.
The same photo published in the book: " Estonia in world war II " and also published
in the book." De som falt. Nordmenn drept i tysk krigstjeneste. ". The English text
explaining the content: "... The graveyard of Division Nordland on the island Kreenholm by Narva. The losses in the course of a few days were so grate that the dead were waiting in queue to be buried. Many Norwegians were buried here. The Russians destroyed the graveyard when they took Narva...". So far this book. A history not wanted and forgotten by many Norwegians after the war but still a part of the history of the Second world war written by those who lost the war.
But let us return to the small but important book written by Mart Laar. 71 pages of
military history of Estonia. A history of a country who was occupied by the Russians
and later on by the Germans. The Estonia population had to make a choice. Many sided with the Russians and many joined the German Army and a third front was established too to fight for the independence of Estonia. The fight for a free Estonia has not been talked about after the war. For many Estonians the fight was not ended in 1945.
The guerrilla warfare in Estonian forests and marshes continued for more than a decade. The country was occupied by the USSR. The story of Estonia is a dramatic and a tragic story. Some figures about the situation: About 30 000 were killed in battles. About 80 000 people fled abroad. Estonia became independent in 1991.
In 1974, the late Norwegian politician, Haakon Lie, wrote a book about the Norwegian Communist Party and the German-Russian agreement of 1939-41. The small book is written by a man who never trusted the Russians and the history of the Baltic countries are a topic for the book too. The title of the book is: " Hvem kan vi stole på? En dokumentasjon om Norges Kommunistiske Parti under den tysk-russiske alliansen 1939-1941 " .
Mart Laar (b.1960) is an Estonian statesman, historian and a founding member of the
Foundation for the Investigation of Communist Crimes. He was the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2002.

The book about Estonia and the WWII was given me during the conference of The Baltic
Audiovisual Archival Council(BAAC) in Tartu, Estonia, 2008.

GULA DIVISIONEN

The yellow division.
The year is 2008. The date is November 20. The Norwegian government made a public statement about the new combat aircraft for the Norwegian Air Force. The decision was not in favor of the multirole fighter, Swedish Saab made JAS 39 Gripen. No. The Anglo-American fighter aircraft, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was the winner. The decision was not a surprise to those who have studied the history of the Norwegian Air Force.
After the end of the Second World War, Sweden decided to produce fighter aircrafts. At the end of the war in Korea in 1954, Sweden had the world's fourth most powerful air force. The Swedish made fighter aircraft, Saab 29 Tunnan, was already in action.A total of 661 of " the flying barrel " were built from 1950 to 1956. In 1949 Norway co-founded NATO. The Cold War was a reality for Norwegian politicians who did not want to be taken by surprise once more like in 1940. The air force had to be rebuilt to meet the new situation: The Cold War. Norway received American aircrafts through MAP(Military Aid Program). From 1952 to 1960, the dominating fighter aircraft was the American Republic F-84 Thunderjet. No Swedish
combat aircrafts like " J29 Flygande Tunnan " were bought. In year 2008 the situation is still the same: No Swedish aircrafts for the Norwegian Air Force.What about the movie called " GULA DIVISION " or " Yellow Division " and why making comments on the subject of buying aircrafts from Sweden? The answer is that the film is a movie made for those
who have an interest in aircrafts. The plot is not about the Korea War and the political situation and tension and the Cold War and the relationship between Norway
and Sweden.No. The plot is dealing with family problems, love problems and the issue about duty, work, and responsibility and living a normal family life. The plot could have been used in any film. The film can be viewed to-day due to the realistic shots
of the interesting Swedish fighter J29. You are not viewing a beauty among aircrafts.No. If you compare the shape of the plane with the British made "Spitfire " and the American fighter aircraft," F-86 Sabre", the J29 is like a fat man or woman who should reduce the daily eating and made more training.The shots of
aircrafts are good and interesting making a visual report about the training of pilots in 1954. The movie was released in 1954. The film was unknown to me before
I found the film this year in Sweden. GULA DIVISIONEN has the right to live. The film is a historical film about the Swedish Air Force in 1954 - very different from
the air force to-day. But the aircraft is not an object for the aesthetic enjoyment. Famous Swedish actors like Hasse Ekman (1915-204),Sven Lindberg and Lars Ekborg(1926-69) are playing pilots. Austrian Air Force bought about 30 " flying barrels " in 1961. No " flying barrels " were bought by The Norwegian Air Force. Sorry.
Latest news from Pentagon,February 17,2010: Delay in production of F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter. One year delay in production. Norway has decided to buy 48 F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter from year 2016. Updating information,July 14,2010: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and JAS 39 Gripen were tested and as combat fighters. It was important not to be seen on the radar. Gripen was discovered too many times and shot down in the computer
simulator system used for the tests. Sorry. On the radar JSF has the size of a golf ball.F-16 has the size of a car!(The source: Håkon Bonafede. Vi Menn,nr.8. 2010)

The year is 2016. The debate about about buying the American aircraft, Joint Strike Fighter, is still on the agenda among Norwegian politicians and journalists. A new book has been published dealing with the issue: " ANGREP ELLER FORSVAR. Kampfly, norske verdier og sikkerhets-politiske ambisjoner ". Ingeborg Eliassen and Cathrine Sandes have written the book. Joint Strike Fighter is too expensive for Norway. We need money for the army too. The conclusion of the critical document is that Norway need to keep up a high standard for the army to defend the country in a critical situation.The book is a small book.Only 138 pages. The list of sources used is also published. The book is a positive contribution to a serious debate about the Norwegian support to Nato, and the international conflicts where Nato wants to get involved due to the aims of the organization: A peace making associations of free states- not a war machine to create conflicts ( Not all agree on the Natos policy. " Out of area ").

THE FORGOTTEN WALKING STICK, THE FORGOTTEN ACTOR, AND THE FORGOTTEN MOVIE: ZORRO

ZORRO
Making new movies about the life and the fight of " ZORRO " is still going on. The late American actor, Sean Leslie Flynn (1941-70), has been forgotten a long time ago.
Sorry. The true story of the production and use of walking sticks concealed as weapons are also forgotton. About forty movies have been made about Zorro. The first film was released in 1920. Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was playing Zorro (fox).Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by writer Johnston McCulley.
Walking stick with a concealed swordstick for defensive reasons was discovered in a book for old equipments. The walking stick on the photo is decorated by the German eagle with a political symbol used by the National socialist party(1933-1945) in Norway before and during the Second world War.: The sun cross.( The walking stick was sold for about NOK 4800.-, EUR 480)
Walking stick gun or cane gun was a tool designed as a definsive weapon against street ruffians of Victoria era.

SEAN LESLIE FLYNN ( 1941-70)
In year 1984 the mother of Sean Flynn, Lili Damita (1904-94), had to declare him legally dead after having searched for him for years. Sean Flynn was the only son of Errol Flynn(1909-59) and the French actress Lili Damita. Sean Flynn was lost during his time in Cambodia working as a combat photojournalist. He was known as actor, singer, photojounalist, safari guide and big game hunter in Africa.
ZORRO: Der Mann mit den zwei Gesichtern.IL SIGNE DI ZORRO.
The film was released in 1963. The forgotten movie was bought by me in Kiel, Germany. Foreign movies are dubbed in Germany. The result is that American actors like John Wayne and Errol Flynn are speaking German in movies made in USA.I dislike
the dubbing business. The original product is changed too much making American actors Germans. Due to this policy of communications, Sean Flynn is speaking German fluently in the film: Il signe di Zorro.
MEXICO
Mexico is supposed to be the country where the plot takes place. It is a Mexican story.
But the shots are not taken in Mexico.The reason for me approaching the movie was my love for the country Mexico where I have been five times already. A fascinating country with nice people. A sentimental reason you may say. I agree.
ERROL FLYNN
Another reason for me viewing and buying the old and forgotten movie was my interest
for Sean Flynn's father: The tragic Australian - American actor Errol Flynn. The life
of Errol Flynn has always fascinated me. He was of the opinion that he himself was not a good actor. The American actor Kirk Douglas disagree with Mr. Flynn. On the contrary, he was good - too good. Let me quote from his book called: The Ragman's Son
An autobiography. Published in 1988. " ...Errol Flynn was shooting a picture in Albuquerque at the same time. He invited Irene and me to dine with him and Pat Wymore. I was flattered. I was a young star; he was a legend. He selected the most elegant restaurant, ordered the most expensive wines, and was extremely charming. I was quite impressed, and a little gaga, envious of his poise, his great savoir faire.
At the end of the meal, when the check arrived, he graciously handed it to me and said, " Kirk I wouldn't deprive you of the honor of being the host of the evening " and I, with my mouth open, just paid it. Nevertheless, I admired him. He had flair. Some people didn't consider him much of an actor, but J did. I think he had great personal style that you don't see anymore. There are very few actors who could carry off Robin Hood the way he did ". So far the father of Sean Flynn, Errol Flynn: The actor, the master and lover of practical jokes, a womanizer, a sailor, and even a friend of Kirk Douglas after having dined with him - an expensive business.
ZORRO AND THE WALING STICK
After having viewed the film twice, I think Sean Flynn was a good actor too. What about the mentioned walking stick? Sean Flynn is using his walking stick as a weapon. Walking sticks concealed as a weapon has interested me for some years. If you study the use of weapons, you also get an impression of the society as well. I have not seen many films where the actors are using the concealed weapon in action like in this film. During my travellings in Europe, I have tried to buy one myself. Too expensive for my budget, sorry. In 2001 I paid a visit to Malaysia where I bought a walking stick concealed as a weapon. After an unpleasant event with some unfriendly people from the customs of Singapore, the walking stick was forwarded to Norway as a special delivery. Walking sticks concealed as weapon were used in Norway for personal protection for centuries. The Norwegian writer Per Terje Norheim has written about the history of walking sticks in Norway in his book: Våpen i Norge. Fra spyd og luntelåsmuskett, til Krag-Jørgensen og bajonett. 2000. Even before the first world war, small weapons could be bought in Norway. The walking stick as weapon was brought to my attention reading the book about Sir Richard Burton. The title of the book is: "Burton: Snow Upon the Desert. 1990 ". The book is written by
Frank McLynn. Sir Richard Burton was a British explorer, writer, expert in foreign languages speaking about forty languages. " ... it was Burton's invariable practice to go for walks using a long pointed stick as as a walking stick...the custom of Burton's saved his life one morning near the Alexandria slaughterhouse. He has always been wary of packs of semi-savage dogs after having seeing how Montenegrin
mongrels would sneak up to a stranger and suddenly bite him viciously...for five minutes he had conduct a fighting retreat...but for the pointed stick he would undoubtedly have been torn to pieces...".
SOME FINAL WORDS ONLY
Sean Flynn has disappeared in Cambodia. If he is still alive ,he is about 68 years of age?He was only 29 years of age when he was reported lost. His father who also lived a hard life, became about 50 years of age. His mother, Lili Damita was 89 when she passed away. Due to new technology, old and forgotten films are restored and new copies are made for public use. Television programmes, books, radio programmes and music are all an object for the new preservation tool or technology called digitalization. It is important that those who are interested in making use of the mentioned productions for their Master's degree in different fields get access to the audiovisual archives. It is also thrilling to study old films searching for lost and forgotten cars, weapons, books and so on.

RAFAEL REBOLLAR CORONA: MEXICAN INDEPENDENT FILMMAKER

The year is 2005. The venue is Mexico City. I am a delegate at " Tercer Seminario Internacional de Archivos Sonoros y Audiovisuales " set up by Radio Educacion, Mexico. After having finished the presentation of my paper: " Los banos audiovisuales: La digitalization de los contenidos de los archivos audiovisuales. Una
aproximacion no tecnia al asunto ", an unknown delegate approached me: Rafael Rebollar Corona. He was making documentaries, he told me. We had an interesting talk about television and movie productions and the problems of getting access to television productions. In year 2009 the venue is again Mexico City and I am a delegate at " Cuarto Seminario Internacional de Archivos Sonoros y Audiovisuales. La
salvaguarda del patrimonio sonoro y audiovisual:un reto mundial. Del 9 al 13 de noviembre de 2009. Ciudad de Mexico ". The seminar is set up by the new established
Fonoteca Nacional de Mexico. Rafael Rebollar Corona attended the seminar and it was an easy task for me to find him among all the delegates because he is not dressed like a formal businessman. No. Even if he is a film director, a former actor, a producer of historical films,you get the impression that he is one of the last bohemians of Mexico. The last representative of the Beat generation or an artist who has devoted his life to his work. We met again. We talked and we decided
to meet once more and so we did. I had a good time. He told me about how to be a film producer in Mexico and about his life moving around the world living in Paris
and USA and different cities in Mexico. He took me to an interesting bookshop called
Gandhi where I bought a lot of Mexican movies and movies made by the Swedish director
Ingmar Bergman. The films had subtitles in Spanish. A nice way of the learning the language viewing films. Rafael has been active making documentaries about historical
issues. The products have been presented at different international seminars and conferences like :" The Pan African Film & Arts Festival in USA ". He is interested
in Mexican history: The hidden and forgotten history of Mexico. The story about those
Africans who escaped from slavery in United States and made their way to Florida where they inter-married with the Seminoles ( creating the group known as Black Seminoles), made their way into Mexico and gradually integrated into that culture.
The film called: " From Florida to Coahuila - de Florida a Coahuila " was produced in 2005. Rafael is a young man - only 60 years of age but also a young man who is very spiritual and liberal in attitude to life in generally. Making videos,filming and teaching students media history and film productions. He is preoccupied with how
to archive his own productions and all of the shots not used yet in any production.
It will be a please to assist him in doing the work for him: An independant Mexican
filmmaker who told me that he is not a well-known producer in Mexico but known in USA. To those of you who want to know he better: He is on facebook where 144 friends
are on his list. I am proud of being among the few of his friends located in Europe
and the only one from Norway! Rafael is interested in music, arts,literature,travelling, and the nature itself. We have a lot in common, Amigo!
And he wants to be famous in his own country too!To listen to his experience among
artists and intellectuals who met at the old bookshop Gandhi in Mexico city is interesting - if the past and the history of the past is on your daily agenda.
Good luck with your writing, teaching, travelling and making more films about the forgotten history of Mexico: " ...to this day the deep cultural and economic impact
that Africans had in Mexico is neither accepted nor acknowledged in the official history of Mexico ..." so far statements made by Rafael Rebollar Corona about his work. I have read the programmes of different seminars where he has presented his films. In company with the famous writer and Senegalese filmmaker Ousmane Sembene who
I wrote an essay about in year 1978 for the periodical: " Syn og Segn,nr 7,1978 ", he is presenting his films and his productions. Splendid. Good luck, Rafael.

FOTOS:CUATRO SEMINARIO INTERNACIONAL DE ARCHIVOS SONOROS Y AUDIOVISUALES EN LA CIUDAD DE MEXICO

Director General Alvaro Hegewisch,Fonoteca Nacional
Tedd Urnes (Norway) and Miguel Angel Fernandez Narajo (Mexico).Amira Arratia(Chile),
Francisco Mejorada Chauca (Peru). Pio Michele Pellizzari (repr. IASA)
Mexico City. Fonoteca Nacional. Seminar November 9-13 2009.
I attended the seminar and presented two papers at a workshop. Here are some photos from the seminar taken by me. The seminar was splendid.