Courtesy Photo | WEST SUNBURY, Pa. – Twenty-two recipients of an award presented to them in Luciano...... read more read more
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WEST SUNBURY, Pa. – Chad Plesakov looked upon the Moniteau High School football field and reflected on the life of a man who inspired him to become a civil servant at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in 1999.
More than a thousand local residents joined him to honor the life of his uncle, Luciano Plesakov, at a Sept. 15 ceremony held at the football stadium.
Chad – currently a Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) National Background Investigation Services program analyst – recounted his decision to serve his country like his uncle, whose name is now displayed above the stadium’s scoreboard as the facility’s new name: Luciano Plesakov Stadium.
Luciano, a Moniteau High School scholar and standout athlete, was killed in action in 1967 while serving as a 19-year-old corporal and machine gunner in the Vietnam War. Known for his values, character and leadership, the football and track and field star looked forward to becoming a U.S. citizen after the war.
“My father went through a lot losing his brother, Luciano, and I didn’t want him to worry about me,” said Plesakov about his decision for not volunteering to serve in the armed forces. “I believed it was the right decision at the time, but it became my biggest regret in life – not serving in the military. Then again, I did the next big thing and became a public servant in the federal government in something as important as investigations and adjudications to make sure that the proper people get into the government and can stay in the government. That's how my uncle’s life impacted me, and Luciano impacted the lives of many others to this day. It all leads back to who he was.”
Chad – among Plesakov family members attending the ceremony held before a football game – watched as the Moniteau school board, faculty, students and community officially dedicated the sports arena in honor of the 1965 graduate, the only Moniteau High School alumni killed in action.
Luciano influenced those who knew him and many who did not know him, including his nephew, Chad, born years after his uncle was killed in action serving his country with the promise that he would be granted American citizenship.
Over the years, Chad got to know his uncle through conversations with family members and those who taught, coached or attended school with Luciano. He also perused scores of letters sent home from Vietnam.
“Those letters are unbelievable,” Chad told a local reporter as published in a news story in the Explore Clarion guide to Clarion County, Pa., website on Sept. 13, 2023. “It was never about him. It was always about comforting his family. He went because he wanted to end the war and he hated communism because my grandfather hated communism.”
The Explore Clarion article emphasized that Chad’s grandfather, Vasili, had good reason to despise communism, stating that as a Soviet Union army interpreter in World War II, Vasili was captured. At the time, one of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin’s edicts mandated that any Soviet soldier who was captured rather than fighting to the death would be killed along with the soldier’s family upon returning home.
Consequently, Chad’s grandfather did not return to his home in Russia. “His family and the Soviet military probably assumed that he died,” said Chad, adding that Vasili didn't want to risk anything by letting his family in Russia know that he was alive.
“He met my grandmother, Ines, in Italy. They got married and Luciano was born there,” said Chad. “Italy was decimated, so they applied and were subsequently granted status as stateless refugees through the U.S. State Department. They came over here to western Pennsylvania and the Catholic Church helped them get settled with employment. They eventually bought a farm located in the Moniteau school district. Since then, our family, the Plesakovs, have always been extremely grateful for this country and our freedoms. We’re patriotic Americans and I’m sure patriotism and gratefulness was in Luciano’s mind when he volunteered to fight in Vietnam against communism.”
After the dedication ceremony and the football game was over, Chad continued to reflect on the influence of his uncle on his life and the lives of many others.
“I'm involved in the community,” said Plesakov. “I've been in youth sports, coaching football and baseball players and I’m now the president of our girls’ high school volleyball program. It's just giving back to the community and showing the character that my uncle had. He was always helping others like that. Character is a big part of his story – the number one thing. If you talk to anybody, they'll say he had the highest character of anybody they ever met.”
Letters sent home from Luciano, the first rub from his name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, his dress blues, and his varsity jacket were displayed at the event.
The dedication ceremony also featured 22 recipients of an award presented in his uncle’s name to Moniteau High School students demonstrating outstanding character, scholarship and athleticism. The Luciano Plesakov Award has been presented to at least one student each year since 1981.
“It’s the highest award a student could get in the high school, which teaches about him and keeps his memory alive,” said Chad, who transferred from OPM to the National Background Investigations Bureau in 2016 and DCSA in 2019. “The award honors student -athletes who are leaders with good character and grades. The award winners in attendance held a 40 by 80-foot U.S. flag on the field that night. It was so heartwarming to see them come back and some presenting testimonials to say, ‘hey, if it wasn't for this award, I might not have been able to fund my academic goals.’ There are more testimonials and comments from students and others in the ‘Luciano Plesakov Stadium-Moniteau JR/SR High School’ Facebook page – it’s so incredible.”
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2023 11:58 |
| Story ID: | 456318 |
| Location: | WEST SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 197 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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