On Thursday, April 24, 2025, The American Armenian National Security Institute’s (AANSI) supporters and members, led by its founding Chairman, (Ret.) U.S. Army Major General Mark McCarley, commemorated the 110th Anniversary of the 1915-1923 Turkish-executed Armenian Genocide in Pasadena, California.
Maj. Gen. McCarley, Pan Armenian National Emergency Committee (PANEC) Chairman Dr. Sarkis Mesrobian, Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church Founding Pastor Rev. Kevork Halladjian and Appo Jabarian, Vice Pres. of the American Armenian National Security Institute (AANSI) delivered remarks.
In his opening remarks, Appo Jabarian said: “The most important purpose in holding this event is to bring a stronger message to our people and friends of Armenia than just remembrance and demands for Justice. Today, the strongest message and the most vital mission of every Armenian and friends of Armenia, like General McCarley, is to preserve today’s Armenian Republic, to strengthen its Sovereignty, Independence, and most importantly, Democracy and Defense. If we lose what we have today – the Armenian statehood, what good does it do all the marches and demands for Justice? Additionally, it is vitally important to add to our quest for recognition of the Armenian Genocide, unwavering demands for Justice for the Massive Dispossession perpetrated by Turkey against Armenians.”
Jabarian continued: “If we demand only recognition of the genocide, without restitution for the Massive Dispossession, then we will not achieve Justice. Our people have been deprived of their ancestral homeland and their property and 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives. But we should never lose sight of our duties towards today’s Armenian statehood.
Dr. Sarkis Mesrobian, Chairman of the Pan-Armenian National Emergency Committee stated: “We have a purpose and we have a mission and that’s only one thing that we have to do as Armenians. We are going to convey the faith of our fathers and the virtues of our Christian heritage to our posterity and nothing would stop that.”
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. (R.) Mark MacCarley said: “That act in 1915 is a siren call to duty. It is a call to duty. At least that’s how we at the American Armenian National Security Institute see it. And it’s because of what happened – the 1915- 1923 Armenian Genocide, we will never allow that to take place again as long as I’m on this earth. That is my commitment and the reason that I and Appo Jabarian founded the American Armenian National Security Institute and invited all of you here as supporters and as defenders of freedom.”
Appo Jabarian elaborated: “Beside pursuing our demands for Justice for the Armenian Genocide and Massive Dispossession, it’s primordial that we make a commitment to maintain today’s Armenian statehood as we gather here today. Millions of Armenians and friends of Armenians like General MacCarley are gathering in Armenia and around the world to commemorate. In addition to these efforts, now we have the core mission of the American Armenian National Security Institute which is to assist Armenia consolidate its Sovereignty Independence and Defense in the face of many geopolitical challenges as we’re speaking today.”
“According to legal experts, the legal terminology – ‘Massive Dispossession’ is an important legal terminology that we must use along with Armenian Genocide terminology because if Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide without making amends for the Massive Dispossession then we will end up with nothing. Zero” noted Jabarian.
Regarding world Armenians’ moral obligation toward the Republic of Armenia, Jabarian said: “Whether we like it or not Armenia is geographically situated in the North-South, East-West crossroad. If you look at the world map, it’s the only landmass that connects the North with the South and the East with the West. It’s a great geographical location. But with location, comes geopolitical pressure. So, we must have our input in helping Armenia consolidate its position and its rightful place under the sun.”
Dr. Sarkis Mesrobian underlined: “My dearest brothers and sisters in the most sacred struggle that we all face today it’s the 110th year anniversary to commemorate. But it’s not only a commemoration. We are not victims who are participating in vain commemoration of the past. We are the heirs of the children of Western Armenia. We are the ones who actually are the inheritors of a Cause that will never die. The Armenian Genocide is a crime that was perpetrated not only against the Armenian nation but against humanity. Raphael Len the Polish attorney who coined the word ‘Genocide’ actually had the Armenian massacres in mind as the ultimate example of what a crime is against humanity. And it’s a crime. It has been defined legally and it’s punishable.”
He continued: “Just like my dear friend Luis Ocampo keeps mentioning we have to be careful of the ones who are here to commemorate and to remember and to make sure it’s not forgotten don’t use the term ethnic cleansing. He says in the legal arena ethnic cleansing is not prosecutable. It’s not considered a crime. It is a means of describing what happened. But Genocide has an internationally recognized legally defined definition of a crime that Ottoman Turkey and Republic of Turkey perpetrated from 1915-1923.”
He concluded: “We are here to make sure that these people who actually perpetrated not only they failed This is the ultimate example that they did fail We did survive We are going on and we will keep on going on But we want to make sure that all those who collaborated and continue to conceal the truth all of them have to face the justice. Our gaping wound is not going to heal with time. It’s only going to heal when every perpetrator of this most heinous act stands before Justice and we, Armenians, achieve Restitution and Recovery. We have a purpose and we have a mission and that’s only one thing that we have to do as Armenians. We are going to convey the faith of our fathers and the virtues of our Christian heritage to our posterity and nothing would stop that. Thank you.”
In his introduction of Mr. MacCarley, Jabarian said: “I’d like to ask General MacCarley who took time out from his very busy schedule today at his law office to be here to commemorate with us not just as a fellow American but also as a great friend of Armenia in the vein of Lord Byron, Gladstone and other historical figures who have stood by Armenia and now we have individuals like General MacCarley who stand by Armenia and he doesn’t only talk the talk but he walks the walk. Yes, we’re here at 16,000 miles away from Armenia from the Tsitsernakaberd the Armenian Genocide monument. But couple of weeks ago General MacCarley – in his capacity as the Founding Chairman of The American Armenian National Security Institute, has led a team of three US Army Major Generals (Ret.) to the National Defense Research University of Armenia’s Ministry of Defense to deliver important seminars – I cannot go into the details. Without much ado, here’s General MacCarley.”
AANSI Chairman Mark MacCarley stated: “Thank you. Good morning. My name, as Mr. Jabarian indicated, is Mark MacCarley. I assume after hearing my surname you know that I did not have the privilege, I did not have the honor of being born Armenian. But I do have the privilege and the honor of being born a human being – somebody who is concerned about all those around us and especially those Armenians who sacrificed everything in 1915 as a result of the horrific acts of the Ottoman Empire. Those acts not only should be memorialized and are memorialized today across the Diaspora and today there are multiple events such as we are participating in right at this moment, in which Armenians and non-Armenians who understand the significance of what took place and what is taking place now, gathered together.”
He added: “As for today you are here. Many of you are wearing stickers. I have the benefit of wearing (the AANSI uniform) certainly would like to distribute these. If you’re very interested in these, this is the organization that has a specific focus and that focus is to advance and maintain the Sovereignty and the Security of Armenia for the rest of time. What we learned, many of us around here whom I call friends and allies, learned that the first thing is to honor those who made the sacrifice. And that is what we are doing here as we place the wreath in front of this monument built by the mothers and fathers of the City of Pasadena.”
Mr. MacCarley continued: “But the second is, that act in 1915 is a siren call to duty. It is a call to duty. At least that’s how we, at the American Armenian National Security Institute see it. That means not only do we make the contribution every once in a while, all of us – I, you make a contribution of money — but it’s quite frankly a commitment to preserve everything that is great about Armenia and the Armenian culture in cooperation with all the rest of us. It’s funny you (turning to Appo Jabarian) make reference to Lord Byron. Lord Byron was a huge wonderful poet if you have a fascination with the English language very quickly and maybe that’s one of the things that motivated me. I actually slept in Lord Byron’s bed with a Mekhitarist Fathers Convent in Venice. Maybe that was a motivating instance as well.
“But there’s always been a keen and very special relationship between the Scotch/Irish of which I am a proud member and the people of Armenia. But remember we are here and our focus is both to memorialize those who have sacrificed and suffered but equally to drive forward to motivate every single one of us to do those things whether it’s coming with us – for instance, to Armenia.
“We have a major event going on in the summer. Your kids would love it. It’s called the AANSI Humanitarian Support Brigade where some of you have participated where we deploy you into Armenia to serve as first responders in the event of a natural or man-made catastrophe whether it’s war or an earthquake. That’s a commitment on the ground and of course all the other things — the educational projects that each one of you have helped us participate in. So AANSI is the model that we use — AANSI IN ACTION; AANSI ON THE MOVE.
AANSI Chairman Mark MacCarley concluded: “And it’s because of what happened – the 1915-1923 Armenian Genocide, we will never allow that to take place again as long as I’m on this earth. That is my commitment and the reason that I and Appo Jabarian founded the American Armenian National Security Institute and invited all of you here as supporters and as defenders of Freedom. Thank you.”
Reverend Kevork Halladjian Founding Pastor of Holy Cross Armenian Apostolic Church (Upland) delivered the opening and closing prayers as well as his message in both English and Armenian.
He said: “Because today we stand as living testimony, their legacy will live on. We stand as witnesses to their sacrifice. We stand as faithful children of the Armenian nation and followers of Jesus Christ.”
In his closing, Holy Cross Church’s Founding Pastor Rev. Kevork Halladjian offered his prayer: “Oh Christ! Our God! Our Guardian and Hope to all your faithful, protect and keep your people and especially this Child under the shadow of the Holy Venerable Cross in Peace. Deliver us from enemies – visible and invisible. Make us worthy to thankfully glorify You with Your Father and Holy Spirit now and always and forever and ever. Amen.”
The final part of the day’s program was the presentation of a heartwarming performance of three Armenian patriotic and folk songs by the Tujunga Canyon Preschool Academy Children’s Choir in memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide and the Massive Dispossession. The Armenian children seemed to carry a call for world Armenians and friends of Armenia to make vows for unwavering preservation and defense of the Republic of Armenia.
The director of the Tujunga Canyon Preschool Academy Children’s Choir is the talented teacher Anush Grigoryan. She skillfully led her 6-year-old students.