Mokytojas, karininkas, šaulys Stasys Asevičius (1895–1972)

ENStasys Asevičius was born on February 26, 1895 in the village of Kamisaruvka, Seinai Parish, Lazdijai County, in the family of farmers Vincas Asevičius and Marijona Kutauskytė. In 1903 Stasys Asevičius began attending Lazdijai Primary School, where he studied four years. From 1908 he went to the Seinai High Four-Class School. From the autumn of 1912 he continued his education at Veiveriai Teacher Seminary. In the autumn of 1913 S. Asevičius moved to Suvalkai and attended Pedagogical Courses. During the First World War in 1914 S. Asevičius was mobilized into the Russian army. In September 1915 he was sent to the Military School in Moscow. In November he was moved to Irkutsk War School. On May 1, 1916, after completing an intensive course, he was awarded an Officer Degree and was transferred to 9th Siberian Reserve Unit. One month later he was sent to the front and was appointed an Assistant to the Battalion Commander, and later – the Chief of the Unit. In 1917, during the revolution in Russia, the rule was taken over by the Bolsheviks, the Russian troops were disarmed and disembodied, and the officers were released to the reserve. In October 1918 S. Asevičius started working as a teacher in Seinai County. On December 13, 1918 he was appointed the Chief of Militia of Seinai County. Since December 17, 1919 he served in Seinai County Command Security Team. On January 9, 1919 officer S. Asevičius joined the Lithuanian Armed Forces as a volunteer and was appointed the Seinai City and County Commandant. On August 25 and 28, 1919 he led the Seinai battles. On October 1, 1919 officer S. Asevičius was transferred to serve in Kaunas Battalion, which since December 15, 1919 was named the 7th Infantry Regiment. On October 18, 1919 he was awarded the Captain Degree. On May 28, 1922 captain S. Asevičius moved to serve for the 8th Infantry Regiment.On October 3, 1924 he left for the courses of Higher Officers. On July 23, 1925 captain S. Asevičius graduated from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Higher Officer Courses (V graduation course of training). On September 8, 1925 he returned to continue his service in the 8th Infantry Regiment. On April 19, 1926 captain S. Asevičius was moved to serve for the Armour Unit. On December 17, 1926 he participated in the revolution of the state government coup of state power, drove the armour War, and led a column to the Chief Headquarters of the Armed Forces. On February 10, 1927 captain S. Asevičius was transferred to serve for the 1st County Headquarters. On February 23, 1928 major S. Asevičius was transferred to serve for the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Gediminas‘ 1st Infantry Regiment. On July 1, 1932, under the Act of the President of the Republic of Lithuania No. 382, major S. Asevičius, on his own request, was released from the military service and appointed to the Infantry Officers Reserve Unit. Officer S. Asevičius from October 10, 1919 to January 14, 1920 participated in the front battles with the Bermontians, and from January 16, 1920 to December 1, 1920 participated in the fighting against the Poles. He was awarded the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of the Lithuanian Independence (1928), the Medal of the Founder Volunteers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (1928), and the 5th Degree Order of Vytautas the Great (1930). On May 22, 1919 Stasys Asevičius married Domininka Blažonytė (born in 1895). They had three children: daughter - Danutė Marija (born 1920), and two sons - Vytautas Juozas (born in 1923) and Kęstutis Stasys (born in 1925). Having retired and gone to the reserve, S. Asevičius lived in the homeland of Lazdijai Parish, Kurdimaksčiai Village, where he had a 16 hectare farm inherited from his father.In February 1933 he was elected the Chairman of the Board and the Head of Affairs of Lazdijai Small Credit Society, and held the office until the occupation of Lithuania. Until the first Soviet occupation in June, 1940 S. Asevičius was a Member of the Council of the 9th Seinai Team of Lithuanian Riflemen Union. In June, 1941 he was hiding because he was destined to the exile to Siberia. At the start of the German-Soviet Union war, reserve major S. Asevičius was appointed as the Commandant of Seinai County, but after the liquidation of the Lithuanian Provisional Government on August 15, 1941 the activities of the Commandment were terminated. In September, 1941 S. Asevičius restored the agricultural cooperative. In May, 1942 he was appointed the Head of Lazdijai County Agricultural Product Supply Agency and worked for it until the end of 1943. During the German occupation, S. Asevičius participated in the activities of the anti-Nazi underground organization Lithuania Freedom Army (LFA). After the formation of the Lithuanian Local Team, on February 25, 1944 major S. Asevičius was appointed the Assistant of Lazdijai County Commandant. When the Germans liquidated Lithuanian Local Team, on May 16, 1944 he was dismissed from the service. On July 29, 1944 S. Asevičius and his family retired to Germany. They lived in Dresden, later in the refugee camp in Zeligenstadt. In 1950 they emigrated to the United States and settled in Cleveland. In 1962 he retired to live in Toronto, Canada. He wrote his memoirs Looking Back published in a separate book in 1993 in Lithuania. S. Asevičius died on September 7, 1972. He is buried in Toronto, in the Lithuanian cemetery of St. John’s Parish. His wife D. Asevičienė, who died on December 25, 1975, was also buried there.