Melikian to Receive Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award

NEW YORK—Gregory J. Melikian of Phoenix, Az., will be awarded the 2013 Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), the sponsor of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor.

The 27th Annual Ellis Island Medals of Honor ceremony will take place on Sat., May 11 on Ellis Island, and will honor leaders in entertainment, business, government, military, education, sports, media, and healthcare. The Ellis Island Medals of Honor ceremony pays tribute to American citizens of diverse ethnic origins whose influence and achievements inspire and touch the lives of people everywhere.

Melikian follows a history of commitment to his community and nation. In World War II, he was a 20-year-old sergeant with Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF), headquartered in Versailles and Reims, France, from 1944-45. He was a telegraph radio operator under the command of Supreme Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower. At 3:30 a.m. on May 7, 1945, it was Melikian who was chosen to announce to all military forces and world leaders the unconditional surrender of Germany and the end of World War II in Europe.

After obtaining a law degree in 1948, he established a successful practice in New York City, specializing in real estate law. Melikian would eventually become a New York City Courts arbitration judge, but his true joy became the purchase and restoration of historic buildings. After buying his first building in 1951, he went on to amass 32 properties by the time he retired from real estate in 1979.

After moving to Arizona in 1969, Gregory and his wife, Emma Ordjanian Melikian, helped the then-small Armenian community establish the Armenian Community Center, Melikian Hall, of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Arizona.

Melikian has been a generous supporter of education and the arts in Arizona, serving as a board member of the Phoenix Symphony and as president of the Arizona Opera Company in the 1980’s.

In 2007, he and his wife established “The Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies” at Arizona State University (ASU). The Melikian Center programming includes the internationally recognized Critical Languages Institute, which offers intensive instruction in the less commonly taught languages of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, including Albanian, Armenian, Russian, Persian, Polish, Tatar, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Pashto, and Hebrew.

Melikian also served as Hon. Commander of the 56th Fighter Wing and 944th Fighter Wing of the Air Force Reserve at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

In 2008, ASU President Michael Crow presented Gregory and Emma Melikian with the University Medal of Excellence for their leadership and civic engagement. The medal honors innovative leaders who have advanced awareness and action on issues that affect the wellbeing and positive development of their communities.

In 2012, Melikian was inducted and bestowed as chevalier (knight) into the French Legion of Honor for his unique role as “The Man Who Ended WWII” in Europe. He was recommended for this award, the highest decoration in France, by French President Francois Hollande.

“I am delighted and honored to receive this award,” Melikian said, regarding the 2013 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. “It’s a testament to my Armenian immigrant parents who fled the massacre of Christians in the Ottoman Empire and arrived on Ellis Island to start a new life for their family.”

Past Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients include six presidents of the United States, Nobel laureates, athletes, leaders of industry, artists, and others whose work has made a lasting impact on humanity. They are awarded annually to outstanding American citizens, from all walks of life, who have distinguished themselves through their significant contributions to this country. The Ellis Island Medal of Honor ranks among the nation’s most prestigious awards. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, and each year the recipients are listed in the Congressional Record.