Simas Kudirka

Simas Kudirka

(Simas Kudirka’s KGB Prison Photo in 1970.)

Simonas (Simas) Kudirka was born on April 30, 1930 in Griškabūdis, Lithuania (which had been an Independent Country since 1918.)

The Soviet Union invaded Lithuania in 1940 and occupied the country until June 1941 when Nazi Germany invaded. The Soviets returned and occupied Lithuania from 1944-1991.

Kudirka graduated from the Lithuanian Maritime Academy in 1952 and from 1956 until 1970 he worked on Vessels of the Klaipedia Fleet.

On November 23, 1970, during Bilateral Negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union regarding Fishing Rights 1 mile off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

He jumped from his Ship, the Trawler “Sovetskaya Litva” (the Soviet Lithuania”), onto the American Coast Guard Ship, the USCGC Vigilant (WMEC-617).

He requested Political Asylum from the Americans.

The American Captain of the Coast Guard Ship, Commander Ralph Eustice, contacted the US State Department for instructions. The State Department refused to get involved.

The Commander of the 1st District of the US Coast Guard, Rear Admiral William Ellis, considered the matter an “Internal Affair of the USSR” and ordered that Kudirka be handed back to the Soviets.

Commander Eustice allowed the Soviets to board the American Ship to take Kudirka. The Soviets started beating him while on the American Ship.

Actions by U.S. and Soviet Officials were condemned by different American News Sources, particularly the Voice of America.

President Richard Nixon was angered by the Incident, because of the violation of the procedure of handling the Defection Cases.

As a result of an Internal Investigation, on December 21, 1970 three Naval Officers, including the District Commander, the District Chief of Staff and the Captain of the Ship, were dismissed from the Ranks of the US Coast Guard.

New Guidelines for handling Defections, which made the standing Procedures more specific to ensure that similar situations would not happen again were also created.

Kudirka was brought back to the Soviet Union and detained by the KGB. He was charged until article 62 of the Criminal Code (Treason) and after a 4 Day Trial in May 1971 he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in Correctional Labor Camps (first in Pskov Oblast and then in Mordovia.)

Kudirka’s Mother had been born in the United States (in New York and had moved back to Lithuania when she was 9 years old) and before 1952 when American Women could not automatically give their American Citizenship to their Children if the Father was a Foreigner (it was at the Whim on the State Department.)

In 1974, Kudirka’s Mother, regained her American Citizenship (which was taken away from her by the Soviets when they invaded Lithuania in 1940) and Kudirka and his Family (his Wife, Genele, and two Children, a Girl named Lolita and a Boy named Evaldas) moved to the United States (where he gave Lectures about the Soviet Communist Regime in Lithuania.)

Kudirka returned to Lithuania in 2007, 16 years after Lithuania regained its Independence and the USSR had collapsed.

Simas Kudirka died in Pilviškiai, Lithuania on February 11, 2023, at the age of 92.

In 1978, David Lowell Rich's Television Film “The Defection of Simas Kudirka” was released, in which the role of Simas Kudirka was played by Alan Arkin. The Film won 2 Emmys.

I received “The Defection of Simas Kudirka” as a Present on my Birthday (June 30, 2023.) Alan Arkin – who played Simas Kudirka – died the day before on June 29, 2023 at the age of 89.