Vytis Pin

Over the holidays, I was showing my mom the photos from my trip to Lithuania last September, and I was telling her the back story to photo of me wearing Soviet and Lithuanian police uniforms. I also explained how I ended up with a little piece of Lithuanian independence memorabilia, and she said I ought to write the story down so that someday, long from now, whoever finds it would understand its significance. The uniforms belonged to my grandfather's niece's husband, Polivas Ladukas.

With Ada Matulyte/Ladukiene and Povilas Ladukas

After we met Povilas and Ada in Pasvalys, they wanted us to come back to Panevezys to show us where they lived. They didn't speak a word of English, but Elena and Vygintas were there to help us. Povilas rightly guessed I would be very interested to see his police uniforms from his time in the Soviet and, later, the newly independent Lithuanian police forces. First he brought out the Soviet hat and noticed that I was looking closely at, and commenting on, the hammer and sickle emblem. It was incredible to me to be holding such a thing, given the historic tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Hammer and Sickle

Medals

Seeing how excited I was about it, he brought out his Lithuanian uniform. This one, of course, had none of the Soviet insignia on it. On the hat, in place of the hammer and sickle, was the emblem of Vytautas the Great, an important Duke of medieval Lithuania.

Vytis

For me, the symbolism was very strong. That emblem represented the freedom of Lithuanians from the oppressive and authoritarian Soviet government. I enthusiastically pointed this out, and then put the hat on my head, puffed up my chest, and strutted around for my cousins' entertainment. I wanted to express, without language, that I understood the significance of it all.

Proudly Lithuanian

My enthusiasm must have made an impression on Povilas because, as we were leaving, he pulled the Vytis emblem off of one of his uniforms and handed it to me to keep. This really meant a lot to me. I wouldn't have ever asked for such a thing, and I was actually somewhat reluctant to see it separated from the rest of the uniform, but I certainly am glad to have it.