ARF Washington Sebouh Gomideh
4906 Flint Drive
Bethesda, MD 20816
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (703) 585-8254
ARF Sebouh Gomideh Honors Wounded Armenian Soldier
Armenian Army
Captain Gevork Nalbandian (center) with (from left to right) Fr.
Sarkis Aktavoukian, Armenian Defense Attache Col. Armen Sargsyan,
the evening's gracious hosts Zohrab and Lucine Tikoyan, His
Excellency Tatoul Markarian, Armenian Embassy Counselor Arman
Israelian, and ARF Sebouh Gomideh Chairman Hovsep Avakian
(Photo Credit: Nuyiri Kasbarian) |
WASHINGTON, DC -- Greater Washington D.C.'s Armenian community
gathered at the home of Ung. & Mrs. Zohrab and Lucine Tikoyan to honor wounded
Armenian soldier Captain Gevork Nalbandian. The July 23rd program,
hosted by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation's (ARF) Washington
Sebouh Gomideh, featured moving remarks by Armenian Ambassador to
the U.S., His Excellency Tatoul Markarian, ARF Sebouh Gomideh
Chairman Ung. Hovsep Avakian, Soorp Khatch Armenian Church Pastor,
Fr. Sarkis Aktavoukian, as well as from Nalbandian himself.
Avakian thanked all those in attendance and highlighted the courage
displayed by Cpt. Nalbandian during his service in Iraq and during
his road to recovery. He stated how in the tradition of Armenian
struggle, Cpt. Nalbandian proved to be a hero in the same vein as
past Armenian heroes, dating back to 1890 in struggles to defend
the Armenian people against Ottoman Turkish repression, and more
recently in the battle for self-determination for the people of
Nagorno Karabagh. Ambassador Markarian thanked the ARF Sebouh
Gomideh and the Washington D.C. Armenian community for their
outpouring of support for Cpt. Nalbandian.
Cpt. Nalbandian's leg was severely wounded by a roadside bomb while
serving as a part of the U.S coalition of forces in Iraq. His
recuperation included six months of intensive therapy at the Walter
Reed Army Medical Center to recover from the tragedy and also to
learn how to use a prosthetic leg. Nalbandian returned to Armenia
the morning following the reception to continue his service in the
Armenian army.
