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Nicholas Levycky was born in 1886, on the day after Christmas, in Kiev, Ukraine.
Raised in a poor, Orthodox Christian household in Kiev, the Levycky family did not
have life easy. Nicholas’s parents were farmers on a small acreage outside of Kiev.
Nicholas was never educated, as formal schooling was reserved the upper classes
who had time for it. From the moment he was able to, Nicholas helped his parents on
the farm. He had one younger sister, and together, the family tended the farm and lived
as best they could1. As a young man, Nicholas longed for a better life. Stories were told
of Ukranians taking the long journey to America, to the land of milk and honey.
Nicholas himself dreamed of going to the United States for years, to where it was said
“the streets were made of gold”2. His dream was put on hold when he met a girl named
Anna.
Anna Ponochka was described as a very sweet woman3, who loved to ride
horses in Ukraine (Document E). In April of 1905, Nicholas became engaged to Anna
Pononchka4. After six years with Anna, engaged but unmarried, Nicholas decided to
take a leap and pursue his dream. In 1911, Nicholas undertook the journey to America
alone (Document G). He decided that the only way he could bring Anna across the
ocean, away from the only land she knew, was to create a suitable, comfortable life for
her in America first. Nicholas came to America to put down roots and find a job and
home, then planned to return for Anna once he was satisfied. He traveled through Ellis
Island and immediately moved to Hoboken, New Jersey5. In Hoboken, he had to adjust
to a new life, not only in a new country, but also without the support of his wife. It was
difficult for him to find steady work, as he only had prior farming skills and a very
limited command of the English language. But being an able bodied young man, he
found small jobs working with his hands. He did basic construction work and labored
as a busboy6.
In April 1917, the United States declared war against Germany. The American
people were shocked. The Army had made few preparations to mobilize after President
Woodrow Wilson continued to discourage military planning, even after the diplomatic
break with Berlin in February 1917. A big construction project was nearing, but no one
knew just how big it would be. Barracks had to be built to house more than a million
men, and in five months7. This was no small feat. Time was sparse, and high speed
building operations were incredibly challenging. The manager of the project, William A.
Starrett wrote to the lead engineer, “In 16 weeks you are expected to have suitable
1
Described by Nicholas Levycky to his son Yaroslaw.
2
This is a direct quote from Nicholas Levycky, by way of his son Yaroslaw.
3
Yaroslaw characterizes his mother as sweet, and she was known by all to be very gentle and pleasant.
4
Yaroslaw confirms that his father was 19 years old when he became engaged to Anna.
5
Nicholas did not leave Hoboken after he arrived in America until his first three sons were born.
6
We concluded that Nicholas could not find a steady job due to his lack of schooling and broken English,
and tendency to work at only temporary construction jobs.
7
Page 9 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States by Lenore Fine and Jesse A.
Remington for the Center of Military History of the United States Army.
2
8
This was a memo sent by manager of the project William A. Starrett on May 25, 1917.
9
Nicholas Levycky was described by his son as a true American that was extremely proud to be one.
10
This was in a memo sent by manager of the project William A. Starrett on May 25, 1917.
11
This is on page 14 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
12
Page 18 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
13
Page 17 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
3
After all the months Nicholas and the other workers put in to build the
cantonments in time, the barracks that the soldiers were depending so much on, the
feat that no one thought they could accomplish, suspicion of corruption began to arise.
Senator Kenneth D. McKellar of Tennessee led the attack on the construction program.
He believed that the workers were wasting taxpayer money to pack their own pockets.
The costs of the project seemed astronomical. He revealed these opinions when he
addressed the Senate on July 17th, 1917.14
In December of 1917, the Senate Military Affairs Committee began a formal
investigation of the construction project. Chairman of the Committee George E.
Chamberlain spoke at the National Security League rally in New York City in January of
1918, revealing the committee’s attitude with, “The Military Establishment of America
has fallen down…It has almost stopped functioning...” The top men in the construction
program faced a hearing in front of the Senate Military Affairs Committee and were
subjected to exhaustive questioning. Allegations of corruption were not proved, but the
public opinion of the construction project was darkened forever15.
Almost every Senator or Representative had an entire sheaf of letter from
constituents accusing the project of discrimination in the award of contracts, waste of
materials, astronomical wages, laziness on the job, as well as other supposed
atrocities. Accusations were front page news. The American people wanted to open
new investigations on the construction project. Representative Daniel R. Anthony Jr.
pronounced that the contracts given to members of the construction project “led to a
veritable riot of waste and extravagance.” Representative John C. McKenzie was
applauded after he criticized the construction “grafters16” with, “When war comes, like
snakes in the grass you can see their heads coming up everywhere looking for an
opportunity to rob their Government. O God, grant that such may not be the
opportunity they may have, and may God pity each and every one of them and damn
each and every one of them forever.17” There is no way of telling how Levycky reacted
to these words, but as a devout Orthodox Christian, it could not have been good. An
honorable opportunity to serve his country and save money for his future turned into
just the opposite: dishonor and shame.
In July of 1918, Assistant Secretary Crowell created the Board of Review of
Construction. The board began an investigation in September of 1918, which
continued for almost a year. Not a stone was left unturned. Finally, the board gave its
ruling. No other contract could have produced the required results in the project. The
contractors were paid “exceedingly low as compared with the fees paid on prewar
private construction.” There was no evidence to support claims of favoritism or
14
Page 26 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
15
Page 28 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
16
A person who acquires money by dishonest means.
17
Page 29 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
4
profiteering. The extreme time constraint of the project had led to the high cost of the
project. The board concluded that, “If the completion of these cantonments and camps
in time to receive the army in September 1917, and to house it during the extreme
winter of 1917-18 shortened the war by only one week, their total cost was saved.18”
Time after time, the workers were proved innocent, and the allegations were finally put
to rest. Finally, Nicholas could be proud of what he had done, and what so many of his
fellow military workers had done. Finally, the finger-pointing was replaced with
applause.
After the war, Nicholas became involved with the career that he would do with
the rest of his life. Nicholas began working in various churches. After years of
construction work, he felt called back to religion and his roots as a Ukrainian Orthodox
Catholic. He eventually became an ordained Ukrainian Orthodox Catholic pastor19. It
was in New Jersey where he got his start, helping to build the church he would later
work at. This wouldn’t be the last church he helped build, nor the last church he would
have such involvement in.
During one of these church construction projects, a particularly violent rainstorm
precipitated. Unfortunately, Nicholas developed pneumonia from the cold and moisture
outside. There was an old wives’ tale floating around that prescribed a cake of ice on
one’s head as the cure for pneumonia. Nicholas applied the technique to rid himself of
the disease, but began to see rapid hair loss. He realized he must have caused
irreparable damage to the hair follicles, as the hair never grew back. Nicholas began
balding at a very young age and blamed the ice cake for the rest of his life20.
After thirteen years of saving and saving, Nicholas was ready for Anna, even
when it had cost him his hair. He had built a life in the United States. He had served in
the military, he had become a part of the Orthodox Catholic community, and had saved
enough to support a wife. After spending more than half of their marriage apart, in fact
double the time they were together, Anna and Nicholas were finally reunited. Nicholas
returned to the Ukraine in 1924, and when he made the journey back to the United
States, Anna Pononchka21 came with him (Document I). Anna and Nicholas went back
to their home in Hoboken, New Jersey. Very soon after arriving in the United States,
Anna Pononchka became Anna Pononchka Levycky (Document G ). Finally, the couple
was ready to start their family and live together in the United States.
18
Page 29 of The Corps of Engineers: Construction in the United States.
19
In our phone conversation, Yaroslaw retold the story of how his father became a pastor and
reconnected with his religious background.
20
Yaroslaw told this interesting story that seems to be typical for the time period, as many miracle medical
treatments were believed and used. In many pictures, Nicholas Levycky is seen with minimal hair at an
age even as young as 35.
21
Pronounced Puh-Nun-Sh-Ka
5
how his son was being treated, and transferred him to Thaddeus Stevens School at
1301 Spring Garden St27.
In 1941, six years after moving into the 34th Street home, the Levyckys moved
further into West Philadelphia, to 3138 Pearl Street. The family adopted a friendly
American Bobtail cat named Mitsu28. They also lived across the street from a school for
the deaf, which created new cultural exposure to the Levycky children29. After fours
years at this address, they moved to 2210 Wallace St, right off of Fairmount Avenue, an
area that at the time, only cost about $7,000 to get a house in. This is where Nicholas’
career as a pastor took off. He single handedly opened a church right inside his home.
The family lived on the top two stories of the house and left the ground floor for church
services. Nicholas made sure his sons were very involved with the church. He raised all
four sons Orthodox Christian, and had them participate in services, including singing
every Sunday30 (Document F). Nicholas and his family were involved with the Orthodox
Catholic church for almost the entirety of their lives. With a father as a preacher they
lived and breathed religion; quite literally, when they even lived above the church that
Nicholas created and preached at.
Nicholas was a tough love kind of father (Document W). Yaroslaw described his
father as a “fire and brimstone kind of man” (Document D). Nicholas often said to
Yaroslaw, “Sonny, you can do anything you want, as long as you listen to me”. He
raised his children to be obedient, respectful, and rule-abiding (Document H). He
encouraged them to go to school and receive the education that he himself never had
the chance to enjoy. He also wanted his children to have a degree of independence,
and be able to handle responsibility. He had his sons working to sell newspapers on
the street corners for three cents a piece when they were not in school or helping out
with the church31. He also allowed them to go into the city alone, or with friends.
Yaroslaw went to the Mastbaum Theatre32, one of his self proclaimed favorites. One
thing Nicholas was insistent upon however, was the boys’ involvement in the church
27
Yaroslaw told this story of his elementary schooling, and the stand that Nicholas Levycky took in order
to ensure that his children were getting the best education they could. Education was important to
Nicholas since he had so little as a child.
28
The Levycky family cat, Mitsu, was loved by everybody, and the family really only had cats as pets
during the Yaroslaw’s childhood.
29
Yaroslaw mentionned a time when Nicholas Jr. was frightened by the deaf children at the school.
30
Nicholas first opened his home to the community at this address, and continued this tradition at the rest
of his residences throughout his life.
31
Yaroslaw recalls often selling these newspapers with his brother Michael.
32
Haas, Howard B. “Mastbaum Theatre.” Cinema Treasures,
cinematreasures.org/theaters/1207.
This was Philadelphia's largest and most luxurious movie theatre, until it was demolished. It
seated 4,717 audience members, and had beautifully crafted decorations, some of which include marble
walls, murals, tapestries, statues, paintings, and crystal chandeliers. It had numerous balconies, foyers,
and lobbies, consisted of eight levels, and was the eighth largest theatre in the United States.
7
(Document Y). He made them help out frequently as altar boys, and his son Yaroslaw
was able to perfectly recite a Ukrainian song they would sing, from memory as though
it was just last Sunday they were all gathered as a family in church.
Nicholas Levycky politically identified as a Republican. He was against the
democratic policies of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his presidency in
general. Nicholas believed that the less control the government exercised on the
people, the better. When President Roosevelt instituted the New Deal, and its
programs tripled federal taxes, Nicholas was not happy. Social Security excise taxes
on payrolls made it more expensive for employers to hire people, which prolonged the
high unemployment rate. The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 cut back
industrial production and Agricultural Adjustment Act of that same year cut back on
agricultural production. In Nicholas’ opinion, the negative parts of President
Roosevelt’s policies outweighed the positives. He believed President Roosevelt was
leading the country into communism, which Nicholas was very much against. Nicholas,
Anna, Michael, John, Nicholas and Yaroslaw were all a part of the Ukrainian National
Association (Document U) that expressed anti-Communist views and pro-Ukrainian
rights. Even though he was not content with the politics practiced during this time
period, Nicholas was still very proud to be an American and loved his country.
Now for World War II, Nicholas offered himself up for service, once again
fighting the American cause. On a draft card signing himself up for the war, Nicholas
wrote his birthday occurred in 1894, contradictory to the 1886 displayed on his other
birth records (Document L). This made him 8 years younger, one theory putting him at
age 31, the maximum age for serving in the war. He likely would have changed this
date to ensure he be able to serve. There is no evidence whether he went to war or not,
but his son John also registered, and did fight in World War II. His adimacy towards
registering to serve clearly rubbed off on his children, who followed in their father’s
footsteps.
In 1951, his other son, Michael Levycky went off to serve the United States in
the Korean War (Document M). The Levycky family supported military service and
encouraged the sons to pursue a military career, as Nicholas had a history with the
service. However, when the family found out that on April 26, 1951, Michael was taken
as a prisoner in the Ch'ang-Song camp, their distress swelled uncontrollably33. They
had heard many stories of the abhorrent conditions that were present at these types of
camps, but the worst part was not knowing. Anna and Nicholas were completely in the
dark about what was happening to their son, and there was no way to find out
(Document P). Everyday, they were encased in worry. All they could do was pray.
33
“U.S., Korean War Prisoners of War, 1950-1954.” Ancestry, 2005,
search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=KoreanwarPOWs&h=8788&indiv=try&o_vc=Record%3AOtherR
ecord&rhSource=8750.
8
The Levyckys leaned on religion to get themselves through this time of anguish
and uncertainty. The family prayed for number 52035572 everyday, as did the rest of
the congregation at church services34 (Document X). Yaroslaw even changed his name
to Michael’s middle name, Steven, in hopes that somehow, it would help bring him
back home alive35. Michael’s capture was particularly hard on Anna, as her first son
was in who knows what kind of danger, and there was nothing she could do for him.
The Levyckys had never needed each other more.
Over two years of tears and fear passed, and on August 17, 1953 because of
the end of the war and the 13th Korean Armistice exchange (Document R), Michael
was finally released from Ch’ang-Song and returned back home to Philadelphia and his
ecstatic family (Document S). Nicholas was convinced that his praying was the cause
of his safe return. They all thanked God for the miracle that seemed to have been
handed to them (Document Q). Michael, however, was not the same person as he was
before the war. He was traumatized by the events that he experienced and observed in
the camp, the 30 months he spent in torment, and would not talk about it to his family
no matter what was said to him. Nicholas and Anna tried everything to get him to talk,
to find out what exactly transpired, and to bring back the son they knew and loved.
Sadly, Michael was never the same.
As adults, Nicholas’ sons pursued their dreams and found their places in life.
Michael went on to become a printer in Philadelphia. Nicholas Vladimir Levycky
graduated from medical school and became a doctor in Bridgeport, Connecticut
(Document V), as well as a medical illustrator that hand drew accurate and precise
diagrams of the human body for textbooks and other tools to educate doctors. John
served in the military and was stationed in Kyoto, Japan as a clerk. Yaroslaw
graduated from Northeast High School with honors, where he was very involved with
the school’s dramatics program. He acted in productions and even helped direct plays.
He then received a scholarship from Sears, Roebuck and Co. and attended the
Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh (Document T), and eventually graduated
with a Bachelor of Science of Fine Arts in drama (Document U). He went on to star in
major productions in Pittsburgh, such as Guys and Dolls and The Odd Couple, getting
laughter and tears from big audiences.
On November 11th of 1972, Yaroslaw left Pittsburgh to go on a road trip to visit
his parents and his brother John in Philadelphia. After a long drive, Yaroslaw, John,
Anna and Nicholas spent the day together. They went to a supermarket in South
Philadelphia to pick out groceries so they could cook at home and have something
nice. When they got home, they decided to watch a movie. In the middle of the movie,
Nicholas said he was tired so he went to his bedroom to lay down for a nap. After the
34
See footnote 33
35
In online resources, Yaroslaw often came up as Steve, so he clarified the reason for his nickname with
this story.
9
movie was over, Anna went upstairs to check on Nicholas. She yelled down to her
sons, “Something is wrong with тато! He feels cold.” Yaroslaw and John ran upstairs
and looked at their dad. His chest was still, and he seemed to have stopped breathing.
Yaroslaw tried to breathe into father’s mouth, but nothing came of it. He shakily
pushed away the thoughts that scared him the most. Soon, Nicholas breath was taken,
and he was pronounced dead in his own bed early the next morning. Later, after an
autopsy was performed, it was discovered that Nicholas died due to “heart failure.”36
Michael and Nicholas Jr. traveled to Philadelphia for the funeral services on
November 15 and November 16. In his casket, Nicholas was dressed in the traditional
religious clothing, which consisted of a priest stole, a cope and a surplice. His funeral
was a modest event in a church, with his family, some members of the congregations
as well as friends, and four priests in attendance. The Ukrainian Catholic garments
stood in contrast to the American flag at the foot of his casket, symbolizing his service
to the United States and his love of and assimilation into American culture and life as
well as his loyalty to his Ukrainian roots (Document ZD ).
Nicholas Levycky embodied the story of the American Dream. He immigrated as
a young man with barely anything to his name and any knowledge of where he was to
live for the rest of his life. He could only hope that the gold-paved streets were really
so. But he not only adapted, he thrived. He served his new country, started a family, a
career, and created a community. He was a part of the war effort, raised four boys into
grown men, and started his own church. Forty six years after his death, his life’s story
lives on forever in these pages.
36
Yaroslaw retold the events of his father’s death.