piše: Marko Lopušina

Admiral Stevan Mandarić bio je ratni heroj i osvajač Japana, a Rudolf Ostović sa 35 godina najmlađi američki general i savetnik Kolina Pauela. Tereza Đurić ušla u anale američke vojske - 2008. postala je brigadni general.

SVAKAKO najpoznatiji srpski oficir u Americi bio je admiral Stevan Mandarić. Ovaj potomak naših iseljenika rođen je 1911. u Feniksu. Njegov otac Samojlo Mandarić došao je iz Vrepca u Liki, a majka Sofija rođena je u Slavoniji. Još u srednjoj školi Stevan je postao posvećen vojsci kao "haj skul kadet". Sa 14 godina, tvrdeći da ima 18, priključio se Nacionalnoj gardi. Istovremeno je radio u novinama u Freznou kao reporter. Tri godine kasnije postao je narednik u Nacionalnoj gardi. Bio je jedan od retkih Srba koji su završili Pomorsku akademiju u Anapolisu, u državi Merilend.

Kada je kalifornijski kongresmen Barbur postavio 18-godišnjeg Stevana Mandarića u američku Pomorsku akademiju 1929. godine, niko nije mogao zamisliti šta će sve tog mladića čekati u tri decenije dugoj pomorskoj karijeri.

He was born on July 13th, 1887 at Sar Planina, Serbia. In 1905, at the age of 18, he immigrated to America.

When the US entered World War I, Mandusich immediately enrolled himself in the Army. During the battle in Amiens region in France in August of 1918, Jake, now a corporal, advanced his men at Chipilly Ridge; there were many casualties and in the heat of the battle Alex realized that all officers had been hit and that he was now the leader of his platoon. His men were pinned down by machine gunfire from a German nest thirty yards away. Under intense fire Manudsich made his way to the nest alone; he pulled out his bayonet and attacked..

He was born and raised in Split (while it was still under Austro-Hungarian rule), and subsequently attended the Merchant Academy and later, the Royal Gymnasium, both for two years. In 1913, Cukela emigrated to the United States and, with his brother, settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On September 21st, 1914, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Three years later, on January 31st 1917, with war raging in Europe, he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps. Following the United States' entry into the conflict, he went to France and fought alongside his servicemen in the 5th Marines.

During World War I he served in the US Army. After enlisting in the United States Navy in January 1919, he initially served on the destroyer Litchfield.

Col. Paige was born in a small western Pennsylvania town of Charleroi, near the Ohio state line. His parents were Serb immigrants who came to the U.S. around the turn of the 20th century from the Serbian Vojna Krajina, which was back then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. .

Milo John Radulovich (October 28, 1926 – November 19, 2007) was an American citizen (born in Detroit) of Serbian descent and former reserve Air Force lieutenant who was accused of being a security risk for maintaining a "close and continuing relationship" with his father and sister, in violation of Air Force regulation 35-62. His case was publicized nationally by Edward Murrow on October 20, 1953, on Murrow's program, See It Now:

“That [Air Force regulation 35-62] is a regulation which states that 'A man may be regarded as a security risk if he has close and continuing associations with communists or people believed to have communist sympathies.' Lieutenant Radulovich was asked to resign in August. He declined. A board was called and heard his case. At the end, it was recommended that he be severed from the Air Force. Although it was also stated that there was no question whatever as to the Lieutenant's loyalty.—Edward R. Murrow”

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.

Sijan was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1942 from a Serbian father and Irish mother. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1965, and after attending pilot training, was assigned to the 366th Wing at Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam.