Partisan commander “Vanagas” who led the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters from 1952, the last commander to be captured
Born to a Lithuanian immigrant family in New Britain, Connecticut, he came to Lithuania at the age of three. He graduated from the War School of Kaunas in 1940 and worked as a teacher, and after the NKVD pressured him to spy on his students he joined the partisans in early 1945 under the nom de guerre Vanagas (“Hawk”). He commanded the Dainava military district and the Southern Lithuania Region, published underground newspapers, and in 1949 became first deputy chairman of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters. Succeeding Jonas Žemaitis as its leader in 1952, he ordered an end to armed struggle in favour of passive resistance. Betrayed by a former classmate, he was arrested in October 1956, tortured and executed in November 1957. The Simon Wiesenthal Center has alleged that a unit he commanded in the June 1941 uprising took part in killing Jews; the Lithuanian government denies this.
Activities and affiliations
- 1945–1956 Military command
- 1946–1952 Ideology and propaganda
Career Timeline
- 1940Graduated from the War School of Kaunas
- 1945Joined the partisans; brigade commander
- 1947Commander of the Dainava military district
- 1949First deputy chairman of the Union of Lithuanian Freedom Fighters
- 1952Leader of the Union
- 1956–1957Arrested and executed