Remembering the past...Airman shares heritage with distinguished visitors Published July 19, 2006 By Master Sgt. Angelita Colón-Francia 94th Airlift Wing DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Though he lives thousands of miles away, Maj. David Guio, 94th Security Forces Squadron operations officer, got the opportunity to connect with his family’s history when a delegation from the Slovak Republic visited Dobbins Air Reserve Base recently. The Slovakian delegation represented high-level personnel from the Slovak Ministry of Defense, the Slovak Ministry of Finance, the Slovak Air Force and the U.S. Embassy. The group toured Dobbins ARB as well as Lockheed Martin’s facility located here. During the brief time he had with the group, Major Guio shared a rare photograph of his mother and grandfather, recalled the Slovakian dishes he ate growing up, and talked about his distant relatives still living in Slovakia. He said he wanted to meet the group because of his admiration and love for his grandmother, Susan Adams. Major Guio’s connection to the Slovak Republic originates with his great-grandmother who was born in Czechoslovakia (now known as the Slovak Republic) and then immigrated to the United States in 1913. After marrying in 1914, she gave birth to Major Guio’s grandmother, Susan, in New Jersey in 1915. His great-grandparents returned to Czechoslovakia when Susan was just a toddler. Susan would later marry Pavel Adam in Czechoslovakia. In 1936, as the threat of war loomed over Europe, Major Guio’s grandmother returned alone to the United States while her husband remained behind in Czechoslovakia to defend their native country against the spread of Nazism. Susan was just 20-years old, unable to speak English, and pregnant. In an attempt to Americanize her Slovakian name, immigration authorities changed Susan’s last name to “Adams.” She cleaned houses for the wealthy in New Jersey and later worked in a clothing factory in Youngstown, Ohio, to support herself and her daughter, Delores, Major Guio’s mother. Susan and Delores moved to Weirton, W.Va., in 1950 to live with Susan’s brother, John. Major Guio’s mother would eventually marry and raise a family in Weirton, where they still live today. His grandmother, Susan, passed away in May 200l, leaving behind a legacy of love and compassion for all those she met. Major Guio said there were many Slovak immigrants in Weirton and, growing up, his family celebrated their Slovakian heritage. He recalls many fond memories of his grandmother, including her unique holiday traditions. “She would bless each of us kids on the forehead with honey, making the sign of a cross” Major Guio said. “I don’t know if it is a Slovak tradition or something just she did.” The significance of what his grandmother did long ago is not lost on Major Guio. “My grandmother was a very religious woman who let her actions – not just her words – of kindness, respect and love for others be her guide through life. Her courage and foresight to leave a very unstable and unpredictable situation in Europe was truly great. “She was the cornerstone of our family,” said Major Guio. “Out of a sense of respect for my grandmother and all she represented I try to learn as much as I can about my Slovakian heritage.”
