Senekerim Arakelian

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Senekerim "Sam" Arakelian
Native name
Սենեքերիմ Առաքելյան
Born(1902-05-01)May 1, 1902
Erzurum, Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey
DiedSeptember 9, 2000(2000-09-09) (aged 98)
Montebello, California
Battles / wars
RelationsJack Hajinian (grandson)

Senekerim "Sam" Arakelian (May 1, 1902 - September 9, 2000) was an Armenian-American, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, and the last surviving Armenian veteran of World War I.

Early Life

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Senekerim was born to an Armenian family in Erzurum in the Ottoman Empire.[1] He was forced to leave Armenia during the World War I and witnessed the Armenian Genocide when he was 13-years-old and saw his father and uncle be executed.[2][3][4]

World War I

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When Senekerim was 16-years-old, he enlisted in the Armenian Army in 1918 and was involved in the Battle of Sardarapat.[2][5]

Post War

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Following his service, he continued to live in Armenia until World War II, when he was captured by Nazi forces and taken to a concentration camp in Stuttgart with his wife and daughter. They survived and immigrated to the Montebello, California in 1957. He lived in Montebello until his death in 2000, aged 98.[2][3][6] In April 2013, an exhibition has held in the city to honor Armenians who were survivors of the genocide. Among the attendees was Jack Hajinian, the grandson of Senekerim and a city councilman.[2][3][6]

References

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  1. ^ "I Witness: Narratives of Resistance at Cal State Northridge" (PDF). The Armenian Mirror & Spectator. Vol. LXXXXII, no. 4849. September 14, 2024. p. 14.
  2. ^ a b c d Peyotto.com. "SGV Tribune. «Մոնտեբելլոյում բացվել է Հայոց ցեղասպանության ցուցահանդես»". www.aravot.am. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  3. ^ a b c "Montebello hosts exhibit commemorating 98th anniversary of Armenian Genocide". Armenpress. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  4. ^ "Montebello hosts exhibit commemorating 98th anniversary of Armenian Genocide". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  5. ^ Agreed belligerent status at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
  6. ^ a b Karapetyan, Araksya (2022-04-28). "The history of Armenian Americans in California". FOX 11. Retrieved 2025-11-16.