State Decorations on the Occasion of the Hungarian National Holiday of August 20

The Ambassador of Hungary decorated Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs of the State Department of the United States of America, with the Commander’s Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for her active promotion of the Hungarian-American relations and cultivating the memory of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution in the United States of America.

Paula Jon Dobriansky and András Simonyi

In all her comments and remarks during the last few decades, sympathy was present for the yearning for freedom of the Hungarian people. The will to help enforce the democratic principles was palpable in all her actions and measures. As a member of the Reagan and the two Bush administrations, she effectively and successfully shaped the policy of the United States towards Hungary, and as director of the National Security Council, she played a key role in the practical realization of that very policy. As Under Secretary for Human Rights, she had a key role in the compilation and publication of the annual Human Rights Report of the State Department. She also is the author and lector of several articles about human rights and Eastern Europe.

The Ambassador of Hungary decorated Per Bang-Jensen, son of the late Danish diplomat to the United Nations, Povl Bang-Jensen, with the Officer’s Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for cultivating the memory of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution in the United States of America.

Jeff Kampelman, Ella Kampelman, Lisa Bang-Jensen, András Simonyi, Per Bang-Jensen, Viktor Szederkényi

Per Bang-Jensen has compiled a remarkable collection of international documents on the 1956 Revolution. In 2005, he officially handed over the copies of altogether 37,000 pages of documents in connection with the 1956 Revolution available from American and European archives to the Hungarian National Library. He continues to actively promote the memory of his father and the 1956 Revolution in the United States. He is an appreciated member, and many times the guest of honor, of the commemorative events organized by Hungarian Americans. By means of his commanding authority, Per Bang-Jensen made all possible efforts to ensure that the Hungarian Americans step beyond their dividedness on the eve of the 50^th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution, to reach a “political cease-fire”, as he put it, and to commemorate 1956 with unity, gravity and dignity, only appropriate for that special moment.

The Ambassador of Hungary decorated László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his outstanding behavior during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, promotion of the NATO-membership of Hungary, and his achievements among Hungarian Americans.

Frank Kapitan, András Simonyi, László Megyeri

From 1982 to 1995, László Megyeri worked for different committees of the American Congress. From 1995 to 2000, he primarily dealt with immigration cases as a lawyer. From 2000, he started to support the case of the Hungarian Americans as the legal advisor of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA). Since 2003, he has been the secretary treasurer of HRFA. He is a retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Army Reserve.