Alexander Yakutis. My dad's namesake, and mine. He fled Lithuania prior to the outbreak of WWI, then became a naturalized citizen after serving in the United States Navy. To me he was tall as a tree. Grandpa taught me to love nature. Oak trees, honey bees, salt. I venerate these because of him. Lithuania was the first to declare independence from the USSR. She is tiny, she is strategic, and she needs NATO to have her back. This Wikipedia article on the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania covers the basics. It's a short read and includes a reference to Moldavia, our first lady's country of origin, to my surprise.