American Serb History 101

George Budimir and Mim Bizic October 18, 2015 

I've always admired George Budimir's many contributions to a better understanding of our Serbian heritage through his writings in the American SRBOBRAN, in SERB WORLD magazine, and now, eBRITIC magazine.  How happy I was to meet him at the Draza Miahilovich Grounds (Chetnik Hall) in Winona, Ontario, Canada when our St. Elijah Serbian Orthodox Choir from Aliquippa, PA, were guests of the St. Nicholas Choir of Hamilton, Ontario, and we attended the KSS Slava. I'm sure you will love the story he wrote entitled "Their Legacy is in the Seed They Sowed!"

(click the photo above on the bottom right hand corner to enlarge.)

Their legacy is in the seed they sowed
November 4, 2015 this story appeared in the eBritic magazine

 by George Budimir

On Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015 the Movement of Serbian Chetniks Ravne Gore, Hamilton Chapter observed their annual Memorial Service (Parastos) for the men and women of Dinara Division who lost their lives during and after WWII. This year’s anniversary is of special significance – the 70th year since the end of World War II.

All these people are gone from us now. In and around the Hamilton’s cemeteries you’ll find their graves and their tombstones. There are proud names upon them.  As time and events test our resolve, the mirror of memory of these good people will hearten and inspire us in our own future endeavours.

Every Krajina man is a born soldier, it has been said. When I try to cast my mind to those WWII days I think that at times I felt that those Krajina men were not only brave but indestructible. The thought of fighting for their land, their people, their families made them braver still. There was no lack of courage and valor at Padjene, Golubic, Gracac, Korana and many other battlefields. Crossing the Socha River in May 1945 was the last battle they fought, and their first step into another world. New challenges followed: new country, new customs, new culture, new home, new life. Many came to Canada, some groups settling here in Hamilton area where they played a vital role in social and cultural life in this part of Ontario.

As the years and decades rolled by, as is inevitable, many of our friends passed away. Today, as has been the custom over the past years, we remember and celebrate their remarkable life.

This Commemorative Service – a ribbon of remembrances – provides a somber occasion to take stock of our losses. It can also make a fellow reflective.

Over the years we have lost many fine men and women. With the death of Vojvoda Momcilo Djujic (1907-1999), we were witnessing much more than the passing of a man. In war and peace Vojvoda attained a special place of respect among us.

Over the years, here in Hamilton area we have lost such stalwarts as Tosho Klisuric (1923-1989), Jovo Borovic (1921-2011), Mirko Milunovic (1919-2007), Jovo Djuric (1924-2003), Dusan Sevo (1919-1993), Pavle Jovanovic (1921-1996), Sava Opacic (1902-1984), Djuro Trifunovic (1925-2011), Jovo Andic (1919-2013), and many others – too many to mention here.. All are missed.

I miss Tosho’s ever present smile…his heartwarming story of his epic 3,000 km. train ride from Halifax in Nova Scotia… through the endless forests of New Brunswick… the rolling countryside of Quebec… the fields of golden wheat spread along the shores of Lake Ontari, to his final destination – the primal forests of Northern Ontario. And there, a voice of welcome, a man running up and down the station platform shouting: “Any Serbs, any Serbs here?” Tosho’s work life led him to Hamilton where his calm demeanour and steady hand led us through many years and many obstacles. He derived much pleasure helping our youngsters, his ‘extended family’ as he called them. Nearest and equal to him in significance was Jovo Borovic, our church president in its difficult formative years. His drive and can-do attitude was infectious. Indeed, Jovo left us a legacy of leadership.

I particularly remember Mirko, Pajo, Jovo, Pero and an army of others proving their carpentry and masonry skills, or lack of them, in building our Winona Cultural Centre.

I remember Dusan Sevo, a true wartime hero and divisional flag bearer. That flag, wrapped around his waist, made it all the way from Dinara to Winona. And that same flag was draped around his casket as it did for every Chetnik member that passed on to eternity.

I smile in appreciation when I think of Sevo’s truly heroic exploits during the war, and his culinary exploits at his home in Stoney Creek. Nobody, not even his wife Ruza could match the taste of his strudels and his gibanicas. That man was a marvel.

I wince every time I think of Dragan’s first encounter with a Canadian skunk. Early one morning on his way to work Dragan stopped to pet this strange looking dog with a white stripe down its back. Well…the results were not pleasant. That day our Dragan never turned up for his shift work at STELCO.

Many of our men worked at STELCO and DOFASCO, the steel mills of Hamilton. For some this was a mere stepping-stone to starting their own businesses; still others taking on farming. Coincidentally, this being the fruit belt area, several of our men owned and operated fruit farms – grapes, peaches, apricots, pears, apples, etc. Dusan Vincic (1923-2011), the Dalmatian born farmer and father of four operated his fruit farm near Beamsville. Dusan had the patience of Job, and an instinct for correctness that rarely failed him.

A dozen or so kilometers south of Beamsville, on Highway 20, Djuro Trifunovic operated his poultry farm, raising turkeys. Djuro ships his fattened turkeys to market, then he buys young chicks to raise during the next season.

The energetic Todor Trifunovic (1925-2015) operated his labour-intensive tobacco farm in Burford area. "Never underestimate the determination of a Serb," I heard him say with a measure of pride.

Less than an hour away at a place called Valence near Puslinich, on highway 97, you will find the spread of Sava Opacic – his choice was raising crops and livestock. Sava’s farm is a place of peace and quiet beauty, a place where the sky feels so big and blue, the air so fresh, although that might only have been because Hamilton’s air is badly polluted by steel mills spewing smoke and grit into the air.

Yes, the pleasures of the outdoors fit closely with a way long enjoyed by Sava and others back in the Old Country. But in farming, the difficulties and pleasures often share the same bed.

These men – tough and tempered by life – are experts at survival.

Drawing on their experiences some have published books or left unpublished manuscripts  – most now kept at our Winona library – describing the life ‘that happened somewhere long ago and far away’.

Farmers or steel workers, all these men have elevated themselves to a higher spiritual status through performing many charitable deeds.

People of Krajina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, people of Kosovo and Serbia, the refugees, the orphaned children, the widowed mothers – they all have experienced the abiding generosity of these good people. Staying true to yourself, to the core of who you are and what your values are is certainly exemplified by Djuro and Ilinka Trifunovic. This childless couple left one million dollars for the orphaned children in Serbia.

Like so many others, Dragan-the-pensioner sent his ‘modest’ donation. I remember how happy he was when notified that his donation of five thousand dollars had safely reached the Serbian orphanage in Bosnia.

All these people are gone from us now. In and around the Hamilton’s cemeteries you’ll find their graves and their tombstones. There are proud names upon them.  As time and events test our resolve, the mirror of memory of these good people will hearten and inspire us in our own future endeavours.

About George Budimir

A more detailed biography of George Budimir will be forthcoming, but in an effort to get this page to my audience as soon as possible, let me just say that George Budimir is a living legend, both in his adopted Canadian homeland, and in the USA. George retired from serving the Ministry of Transportation in Canada.  He was  also the editor of th e English section of SERBIA, the Voice of the Serbian Fighters for Freedom newspaper.

George wrote the book  Krajina: The Tragedy of a People written in 1998 which explains the Yugsolav War from 1991-1995 and the unfairness of it all. It has 191 pages and was published by the Canadian Serbian Council.

George also aurthored the wonderful book entitled: BEARING WITNESS.

Bizic, Milana Karlo. A Review: Bearing Witness: The Tale of a People and Their Legacy (An Immigrants Story) by George Budimir. American SRBOBRAN [Pittsburgh, PA] 1 Mar 2006, p. 26-27. Witnesses people living a vigorous, but almost idyllic village life of good times and bad by possessing the wonderful qualities of love, trust, tolerance and self-reliance. In the village, honor, reputation and your word were valued above all else and tales of the Kosovo Battle highlight the tale, along with beautiful proverbs, until evil strikes in 1941. 

From the Grimsby, Ontario Library: Bearing Witness: The tale of a people and their Legacy, by George Djuro Budimir, another local gentleman who writes beautifully of his early life in Croatia, and his journey to a new life in Canada, then in Grimsby. More people should read this book."  

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Was Voyvoda Djurich the Last of His Kind?  Read it here on Aleksandra Rebic's link:

http://www.generalmihailovich.com/2012/09/was-voyvoda-djujich-last-of-his-kind.html

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George Budimir Biography:

George (Djuro) Budimir was born on March 23, 1928 in the village of Nadvrelo, Lika, Yugoslavia to parents Toma and Anka.

During World War II George was a member of Chetniks Dinara Division.

At the end of that war, like thousands of others, he left his country rather than to submit to communist tyranny.

In January 1948, after three years of life as refugee in camps in Italy and Germany, George moved to Great Britain.

In 1957 he emigrated to Canada landing in Hamilton, Ontario, where he happily immersed himself in Serbian culture. He was one of the founders of St. Nicholas S. O. Church, and an active member of Chetniks Movement of Ravne Gore serving as a long-time editor of newspaper Serbia (English Section).

George’s passion is reading and collecting books on the history of his culture and heritage for Chetnik’s Winona Library.  

George received his education in Yugoslavia, Italy, Great Britain and Canada at Hamilton’s Mohawk College.                                              

George retired from the Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and Communication – Electronic Technology.

In addition to his technical articles and manuals, he has written many essays and stories for publications such as Serb World, American Srbobran, Voice of Canadian Serbs, Britic, and others.

He has published Nikola Tesla (for Landmarks in Serbian Culture and History), has authored the book Bearing Witness and co-authored Krajina, Tragedy of a People, and Rocks and Rattlesnakes, The Civil War in Bosnia and Herzegovina, for The Canadian Serbian Council.

George is recipient of Jovan Duchich Literary Award.