Vello Ederma, well known to our readers for both his English and Estonian language articles, and to Estonians at home for his work at Voice of America, has donated the international relations library that he built up over decades to the Estonian Ministry of Defence.

Minister of Defence Jaak Aaviksoo thanked Vello Ederma for the important gift, emphasizing that the collected books are of significant value. “But much more important is the message that you send with your donation – it tells us that our national defence is contributed to by the Estonians who are far away from home as well,” Aaviksoo wrote in a letter of thanks sent to Ederma.

“How much Estonia needs the aid and support of all Estonians is usually only seen when the situation gets tough – your gift, however, is a declaration that we can definitely count on this support,” said Aaviksoo. Vello Ederma was also presented with the Ministry of Defence Gold pin.

Vello Ederma was born in 1934 in Rakvere and left Estonia via Germany for the USA ten years later. Ederma has graduated from the George Washington University and between 1960 and 1983 he worked at the radio station “Voice of America”. Ederma is now retired and lives in Springfield, Virginia, still being active among Estonians living in the USA. Some of his leading positions include being Deputy Chairman of the Estonian American National Council Inc. and Estonian World Council, Inc., and the Chairman of the Joint Baltic American National Committee. In 2004 Ederma was awarded Estonia’s 3rd class Order of the White Star.

The books donated by Ederma, the majority of which deal with international relations and the policy of the United States in the period after World War II, will as of this fall be located in the library of the Ministry of Defence, where they can be borrowed from the stacks upon request.
(Ref. EMD)

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