Serbian History 101
with Baba Mim....
Serbian History 101
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United States
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Serbianism by Helen Delich Bentley
Српство од Јелене Делић Бентли
It was 1948 when she wrote the SERBIANISM piece found below.
Helen Delich Bentley wasn't a U.S. Congresswoman yet. Nor at the time of this writing would we know that she would eventually be honored by hundreds of people in attendance at the 300th Anniversary of the Port of Baltimore GALA or that at that special occasion, would she receive flowers from the Governor of the State Bob Ehrlich, and the incredible acknowledgment that henceforth the nearby waterways would be called THE HELEN DELICH BENTLEY PORT OF BALTIMORE! How honored I was to be present for that special occasion where Helen served as the Chairman for the Port of Baltimore Tricentennial Committee.
How thrilled ALSO I was to find this piece of information written in the March/Arpil 1948 issue of my father's AMERICAN-SERB LIFE magazine.
An excellent U.S.Representative, Helen has always been true-blue to her American-Serb roots too. She was present at the 600th Anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo on Vidovdan in 1989 with 2.2-3 million other people including us folks from the Pittsburgh/Cleveland area and the California and Canada folks too.
Here's Helen in 1948, and if you speak to most other American-Serbs now, 60+ years later, they'll proudly say the information below is STILL TRUE!
in her regular column entitled: “Matter of Fact”
"I've spent a good deal of time in the past several years tying to define Serbianism. But I still can't.
Of course many ideas have occurred to me, but none have satisfied me. So far I can only characterize Serbianism.
For instance, Serbianism can be synonymous with fighting for the right, or what we believe is right, with every possible breath.
Then it can mean giving whole-heartedly of whatever you have to help one who needs it.
Or it may be simply sharing whatever you have with everyone; or sticking with him, come hell or high water; Or the guslar spirit, where your cards are stacked for you.
It might be a determination to fight doggedly on, as the Serbs did when the Turks tried to master them, and as they probably will again before this century is out.
Or a fiery spirit and flaming temperament.
Perhaps it is none of these. Or perhaps it is all of them rolled into one.
Serbianism is too big a thing to be able to toss aside lightly with a definition of one or two words.
I've watched this Serbianism in action from the West Coast to the East Coast.
Whatever it is, it's the same everywhere.
You come to the door of a Serbian home.
You're welcomed with open arms, even though they have never seen you before.
The table is spread with strudel, sarma, kuspa y meso, and other favorite dishes.
Rakija and wino are brought forth in abundance. You are to make yourself at home.
It can be no other way. If it is, your host feels he has slipped up somewhere.
It's both a disgrace and dishonor for a guest to be dissatisfied in the home of a Serb.
The one thing common to all the age groups is the air of friendliness.
Smiles wreath their faces. Smiles light their eyes. ALL welcome you.
Your heart fills up with "before and after" thoughts.
Your joy bubbles over as you hear Serbian words floating around you again.
Maybe all of this is Serbianism. I don't know.
As I said before, I can't define it.
All I know is that I'm proud of being a Serb.
And no matter where I go, I can count on a Serb making me feel "I'm home---and "alive."
BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL!
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Helen Delich Bentley shares the precious items she inherited many, many years ago from her beloved +parents at the SNF Convention in Windsor, Canada, 2007
Medals, pinbacks, King Alexander of Yugoslavia memorial necklace pieces, Serbian Society badge and the black ribbon worn for funerals. This one is of the Lika and Krbava Svetog Spasitela.
Srpsko Provosl. Bratstvo Lika i Krbava Svetog Spasitela = Serbian Orthodox Brotherhood of Lika and Krbava Holy Guardian/Saviour .....
Note the 4 C's surrounding the cross. CCCC in Cyrillic or in English, SSSS = Samo Sloga Srbina Spasova or "ONLY UNITY SAVES THE SERBS!"
Also note the crossed American and Serbian flags atop the badge pin. This same custom of displaying the dual identity of being a good American without losing your Serbian identity is still frequently seen today.
However, note the spelling of Serbian. During WWI the country was known as Servia, so this is a SERVIAN society.
Fact is that Servia/Serbia was loved so much, there was even a huge Ship named the S.S. Servia. You can find information on this ship at the Ellis Island Immigration Center records.
"She has been called the Fighting Lady, because she persists until she gets it done. She's true to her word and doesn't play games. And Helen is one of the most knowledgable people on maritime matters in the entire world. I've been with her on international visits, and was so impressed by the respect shown to her by those in the martime world." -- William Donald Schaefer, former Maryland Governor and Mayor of Baltimore
"Whenever there is a problem in the port, people turn to her to find solutions." -- The Baltimore Sun
(Click on this HELEN BENTLEY website to learn more about her awards and achievements.)
Shorter Info below from PORT OF BALTIMORE site:
The Honorable Helen Delich Bentley’s first career was as a maritime reporter and Maritime Editor at The Sun, where she created the most-respected maritime section in the nation during her 24-year tenure, breaking important national stories through dogged determination and a personal style that made her famous from boardrooms to the docks. Her coverage of the supply problem for America’s war effort in Vietnam led to the institution of containers as the preferred method of cargo transport.
In 1950 she moved into television. Bentley produced, directed, edited, wrote and did interviews for her series, “The Port That Built a City,” and, later, “The Port That Built a City – and State.” Throughout, she still wrote and edited at The Sun. Her focus on the Port of Baltimore intensified both public and government awareness of the Port’s substantial economic impact on Maryland.
From 1969-1975, Bentley served as Chairman of the United States Federal Maritime Commission. At the time, she was the fourth-highest ranking woman in Federal government history.
From 1985-1995, Bentley served in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Maryland’s 2nd Congressional District. While in Congress, she sat on the Appropriations, Budget, Public Works & Transportation and Merchant Marine & Fisheries Committees, in addition to the Steel, Art, Northeast, Human Rights and Trade & Tourism Caucuses.
Since 1995, she has been President and CEO of Helen Bentley & Associates, Inc., specializing in government relations and business development. Bentley is also a consultant to the Maryland Port Administration and a small businesswoman.
Throughout her career, Bentley has tirelessly promoted two primary issues – the advancement of America’s maritime community, and America’s industrial/ manufacturing base.
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What's in the bag, Helen? Treasures, real treasures!
Opening the fabled kerchief!
"Wow! Look at the riches!"
Chicago, 1903
That means this is over 100 years old!
Thanks for sharing, Helen!
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Serbian History 101
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