I was very lucky this morning to talk, by phone, with Simas Kudirka, now celebrating his ninety-first birthday. You might remember Kudirka as the Lithuanian seaman and radio operator of the Soviet ship Sovietskaya Litva, who jumped ship at Martha's Vineyard in 1970, seeking to defect, and then through a comedy of egregious errors was sent back to the Soviet ship to be beaten, brutalized and nearly killed. He was subsequently tried and sent to a variety of Russian prison camps or gulags. My father was particularly upset about this when it happened, perhaps because both men were about the same age, both had been radio operators, and had other similarities. Dad worked tirelessly with others to help to effect Mr. Kudirka's release, which ultimately involved both President Nixon and Henry Kissinger (who is in the film below). Through that work and many miracles including what looks an awful lot like divine providence, Kudirka and his wife and children were sent by the Russians, to the US. I remember the celebratory party as if it were the day before yesterday. Kudirka spent many years in the US, and returned to rural Lithuania as an older man. The documentary, The Jump, tells his life story and is quite compelling. Today, he is probably more up to date on current news and the world's state of affairs, than I am, which I consider quite remarkable.
Since his release, I have always been fond of Simas. His courage, decency and sensitivity will never be forgotten. Speaking to him also, for just a moment, allows me to have a connection with a contemporary of my father's, which is also welcome. Today, I send prayers that the remainder of Simas Kudirka's life, however long this might be, is as peaceful as this man truly deserves.
https://www.docnyc.net/film/the-jump/
