One April morning, having received guests from across the Atlantic at his home on the outskirts of Vilnius, V. Adamkus first inquired about nothing other than Chicago’s “Deep Tunnel” project – a massive system of underground tunnels and reservoirs designed to protect Lake Michigan from pollution and floods.
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To American journalists, such a question from the Lithuanian president seemed particularly sensitive, yet not surprising. V. Adamkus spent almost half his life in the USA, in Chicago, where from 1981 to 1997 he headed the 5th region of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To this day, some Chicago Lithuanians proudly say that it was V. Adamkus who helped clean up this famous lake.
The pursuit of freedom even in US corridors
Speaking with the „Chicago Sun-Times“, V. Adamkus recalled his long journey from leaving Lithuania during World War II to establishing himself in the USA, where he built a life with his wife Alma.
Even while holding high positions in US government institutions (in 1981, then-US President Ronald Reagan appointed him director of EPA Region 5), he constantly sought opportunities to speak about Lithuania.
“Lithuania was always on our minds. I had the opportunity to communicate with top US government officials and worked closely with members of Congress,” the president recalled in an interview.
According to him, even in meetings with US presidents, conversations were not limited to environmental protection: “When the president would ask: ‘How is Lithuania doing?’, it became an opportunity to discuss the most important issues of our country.”
A painful return and Alma’s tears
V. Adamkus told the US publication that his first return to occupied Lithuania in 1972 left him with a particularly painful impression – society was intimidated, people walked the streets with downcast eyes.
Therefore, in 1998, at the age of 71, he made a fateful decision – to run for president of Lithuania. However, this path was not easy, not only politically but also personally. He had to convince his wife Alma to leave their peaceful life in the USA.
“She strongly resisted it,” V. Adamkus did not hide, recalling that Alma dreamed of a peaceful life and travel. “I must admit that many tears were shed because of my decision. But eventually, Alma became a true companion.”
“American spirit” and legacy
Lithuanian and US experts interviewed by US media unanimously agree – V. Adamkus brought to Lithuania what it needed most.
Former US State Department official Arūnas Pemkus told the publication that V. Adamkus felt “like a fish in water” in international politics, while MP Žygimantas Pavilionis emphasized that the president embodied the interwar Lithuanian spirit preserved in America. US Senator Dick Durbin also agreed, noting that V. Adamkus’s values are reflected in Lithuania’s current, strong foreign policy.
At the end of the interview, when asked how he would like to be remembered, V. Adamkus, preparing for his 100th birthday, pondered for a long time.
“You don’t need to want to be remembered in any particular way. The most important thing is to feel yourself whether you have contributed something meaningful with your life,” he said. “When I ask myself if I did what I wanted, if I did everything correctly, I can honestly say – I am happy that I had the opportunity to contribute and gave everything I could.”
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