Priit Vesilind
Encyclopedia
Priit Juho Vesilind is an Estonian
-born American
senior writer
and photojournalist of National Geographic magazine and an author
of nonfiction.
In 1944, when Vesilind was one and a half, his mother Aino took him and his brother Aarne and fled to Czechoslovakia
. The family was fleeing the Soviet occupation
of his homeland during World War II
. Later, his father Paul Eduard Vesilind rejoined his wife and children and they spent the next five years after the war in displaced person
s camps in Geislingen
, Germany
. In 1949 the family emigrated to the United States of America. He spent his childhood in Beaver, PA, a small town in Western Pennsylvania
. He is a 1964 graduate of the liberal arts college of Colgate University
, located in the town of Hamilton
in Madison County, New York
, earning a BA in English
and then an MA in Communications Photography from Syracuse University
.
Prior to working for National Geographic, Vesilind served as a Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve, stationed at the Naval Communications Station, Hawaii. He was a reporter and editor for the Atlanta Journal, the Syracuse Herald Tribune, and the Providence Journal. Vesilind's career at National Geographic spanned more than thirty years and he rose to the position of the magazine's Expedition's Editor and Senior Writer.
Vesilind currently works as a freelance editor, writer, and photographer and lives with his wife, Rima, in Manassas, Virginia
, USA.
In 2004, Former Estonian President
Lennart Meri
presented Vesilind with the Order of the White Star
, Third Class.
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
senior writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and photojournalist of National Geographic magazine and an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of nonfiction.
In 1944, when Vesilind was one and a half, his mother Aino took him and his brother Aarne and fled to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The family was fleeing the Soviet occupation
Occupation of Baltic Republics
The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the military occupation of the three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by the Soviet Union under the auspices of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact on 14 June 1940 followed by their incorporation into the USSR as constituent republics, unrecognised...
of his homeland during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Later, his father Paul Eduard Vesilind rejoined his wife and children and they spent the next five years after the war in displaced person
Displaced person
A displaced person is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place, a phenomenon known as forced migration.- Origin of term :...
s camps in Geislingen
Geislingen
Geislingen can refer to:two towns in Baden-Württemberg, Germany:* Geislingen an der Steige, district of Göppingen.* Geislingen, Zollernalbkreis, Zollernalbkreis district....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1949 the family emigrated to the United States of America. He spent his childhood in Beaver, PA, a small town in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
. He is a 1964 graduate of the liberal arts college of Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
, located in the town of Hamilton
Hamilton (village), New York
The Village of Hamilton is a village located within the town of Hamilton in Madison County, New York, USA.-Geography and climate:The village, located at , lies in the Chenango Valley, just south of the headwaters of the Chenango River. The village is approximately southeast of Syracuse and ...
in Madison County, New York
Madison County, New York
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
, earning a BA in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and then an MA in Communications Photography from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
.
Prior to working for National Geographic, Vesilind served as a Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve, stationed at the Naval Communications Station, Hawaii. He was a reporter and editor for the Atlanta Journal, the Syracuse Herald Tribune, and the Providence Journal. Vesilind's career at National Geographic spanned more than thirty years and he rose to the position of the magazine's Expedition's Editor and Senior Writer.
Vesilind currently works as a freelance editor, writer, and photographer and lives with his wife, Rima, in Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, USA.
In 2004, Former Estonian President
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
Lennart Meri
Lennart Meri
Lennart Georg Meri was a writer, film director and statesman who served as the second President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was a leader of the Estonian independence movement.-Early life:...
presented Vesilind with the Order of the White Star
Order of the White Star
The Order of the White Star was instituted on 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state.- Classes :The Order of the White Star comprises five classes:...
, Third Class.
Published works
- National Geographic On Assignment USA, Publisher: National Geographic Books (1997), ISBN 0-7922-7011-8
- Horse People, Publisher: Bökforlaget Max Ström, Stockholm (2003), ISBN 91-89204-71-9
- Eestlane Igas Sadamas--An Estonian in every Port, Publisher: Kirjastus Varrak, Tallinn (2004), ISBN 9985-3-0837-9
- Lost Gold of the Republic: The Remarkable Quest for the Greatest Shipwreck Treasure of the Civil War Era, Publisher: Shipwreck Heritage Press (2004), ISBN 1-933034-06-8
- Eesti Aastal 1979--Estonia in the Year 1979, Publisher: Kirjastus Varrak (2006), ISBN 9985-3-1344-5, ISBN 978-9985-3-1344-2
- The Singing Revolution, Publisher: Varrak Publishers Ltd (2008), ISBN 978-9985-3-1623-8
- When the Noise Had Ended--Geislingen's DP Children Remember, Publisher: Lakeshore Press (2009), ISBN 978-161539-531-6
External links
- Jane Wesman Public Relations
- Priit Vesilind, The Baltic Nations. National Geographic Magazine Vol. 178, No.5; November 1990
- Priit Vesilind Return to Estonia. National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 157, No. 4, April 1980, p. 485-511.
- Interview with Priit Vesilind in journal "Loodus"
- Writer, editor has story to tell in museum display