A great man is one who collects knowledge the way a bee collects honey and uses it to help people overcome the difficulties they endure - hunger, ignorance and disease!
- Nikola Tesla

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.
- Franklin Roosevelt

While their territory has been devastated and their homes despoiled, the spirit of the Serbian people has not been broken.
- Woodrow Wilson

Mele "Mel" Vojvodich

Mele Vojvodich Jr. was born of Serbian ancestry on March 28, 1929 in Steubenville, Ohio. He went on to become Major-General in the USAF. For his bravery he was awarded the Legion of Merit.

Looking back at the career, Vojvodich received his pilot wings in 1950 from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Six years later, he graduated from Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. During 1971, he completed his studies at National War College Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington DC.

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Vojvodich served as an F-84 pilot and aircraft commander in the early 1950's at Turner Air Force Base in Georgia. He then saw action in South Korea, flying F-80's and F-86's. He also made a 300 mile surveillance flight into China searching for, and ultimately finding, secret Soviet-made bombers.

In all, Vojvodich flew 125 combat missions. He is also one of only five initial pilots who flew the CIA's spy plane (A-12) in North Vietnam. His time spent in the air was a total of 6,000 flying hours. On May 1, 1980, Vojvodich was promoted to Major-General.

Some of his worthy military awards also include the Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross and the Intelligence Star for Valor presented by the CIA. He retired in March of 1983. Maj-Gen Vojvodich passed away on November 3rd, 2003 at his home in Schertz, Texas after suffering from leukemia.


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People Directory

Paja Jovanović

Pavle "Paja" Jovanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Павле "Паја" Јовановић; June 16, 1859 – November 30, 1957) was a Serbian Realist painter. He is considered one of Serbia's greatest academic painters. His most famous and recognizable paintings are the Serbian Migrations, the Crowning of Stefan Dušan, the Takovo Uprising, Cockfighting, Decorating of the Bride, and the Fencing Lesson. He also painted many famous portraits. His works can be found in many European museums across the continent.

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Publishing

Sebastian Press Mission Statement

Welcome to the Sebastian Press Publishing House of the Western Diocese!

Founded in 2006 and named in honor of a first American born Orthodox priest, Fr. Sebastian Dabovic, a pioneer of the Orthodox Church in the West, Sebastian Press is one of the largest and most active publishers of Christian Orthodox publications on the West Coast.

Our hard working staff seeks to fruitfully enrich and deepen the faith of Christians from all over the world with a variety of titles, embracing a diversity of Orthodox Traditions, while also presenting the works of Serbian theologians.

Sebastian Press is building its reputation for promoting high quality theological, historical, ecclesiastical, spiritual, hagiographical, iconographical, philosophical and patristic writings in its repertoire. Also, due to growing demand, we are giving special attention to the publishing of new titles for children, teens, and families, including video and audio programs.

The primary mission of Sebastian Press is to motivate and inspire its readers to seek a deeper union with the God-Man, through the written word of Orthodox Christian material, both on the scholarly and popular level, and to give glory to the life-giving Trinity.

Sebastian Press is located in Los Angeles, at the headquarters of the Western Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church.