Longtime San Marino resident Milan George Cheyovich died peacefully in his home on January 18, about a month shy of his 103rd birthday. He was born on either February 23 or March 7, 1914 – depending on the Church calendar – in Gary, Indiana, the eldest son of seven children, to Milosava and Djoko Cheyovich of Montenegro.
On May 12, 1946, he married Diana Cheyovich (née Bach, who passed away in 2013 after 65 years of marriage) and moved to Southern California in 1950, where he raised four daughters: Michele, Jovanka (who predeceased him in 1992), Debra, and Laura.
Though born in Indiana, Milan was raised in Dubrovnik, Croatia and Podgorica (the capital of Montenegro) and later moved to Paris with his family. He spoke four languages: English, Serbian, French, and Italian, a skill, among others, that got him noticed during World War II by the famous “Wild Bill” Donovan.
After volunteering for and entering into the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS – a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency or CIA – Milan received rigorous training in explosives, weapons, escape and evasion, parachuting, intelligence-gathering, map reading and how to use the infamous razor sharp OSS dagger. There were approximately 13,000 members of the OSS during WWII and it is now estimated that less than 100 are still living. Although Milan was very secretive about his service, a byproduct of his strict training, his family did learn a few details over the years of his unsung heroism. It would probably embarrass this humble man greatly some of his story is told here.
He was first stationed in Cairo, Egypt where in helped train other Slavs for action behind enemy lines and later transferred to Bari, Italy. From there, Milan was asked to investigate the oil fields of Ploiesti, Romania, a main source of refined products for the Nazi troops. Later, the Allies mounted an important and relentless bombing campaign of the area. It was from Bari that the OSS staged the miraculous rescue of over 500 downed American pilots, from those bombing missions, out of Nazi occupied territory in the former Yugoslavia. The astonishing story is described in the book ‘The Forgotten Five Hundred’ by Gregory A. Freeman.
Milan parachuted behind enemy lines at least six times, always out of uniform, generally to confer with the locals and discern enemy troop movements. Since if caught, he would have certainly been tortured and killed, he carried a cyanide capsule. He also worked on secretly delivering arms and ammunition to the resistance fighters in German-held Split, Croatia and was later assigned to Marshal Tito’s transition team. This lasted until Tito discovered that Milan was both of Serbian descent and of the Orthodox Faith; two attributes that did not mix with Tito’s communism. As a result, Tito asked to have him removed and Milan was transferred back to Bari until the end of the war. He was offered a commission to become an officer, but turned it down and left the military in 1945.
Milan’s love of family, Church and country was always a constant in his life. He was one of the early members of St. Steven’s Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Alhambra and among his many leadership roles there, he was the founding president of its Church School which is still active today. He served as treasurer of the American Western Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America for many years as well as treasurer of St. Sava’s Church in San Gabriel to assist with the construction of its new church. He faithfully attended Sunday services even in his advanced years and was an inspiration to many.
During his lifetime, Milan held various jobs – including once as a shoe cobbler – but eventually became a public accountant and retired from Bank of America in 1976. After retirement, he and his beloved wife, Diana, partnered together to invest in real estate, ultimately building a substantial portfolio of rental properties. He was also a lifelong member of the Freemasons and their Lodge in San Marino, where he was awarded the prestigious Hiram Award for meritorious service. In all his endeavors, he was known for his grace and good humor.
Milan George Cheyovich is survived by his three daughters: Michele Cheyovich (David Jonason) of Mendocino; Dr. Debra Tasic (Dr. Misha Tasic) of Pasadena; Laura Burge (Steven Burge) of San Marino; fourteen grandchildren: Dr. Milena Edwards, of Berkeley; Rachel Cheyovich, of Seattle; Daniel Joye (Melissa), of London; Niko Joye, of Montreal; Milica Tasic, of Washington, DC, Milos Tasic, of Pasadena; Jelena Tasic, of Pasadena; Ivana Tasic, of Pasadena; Briton Burge (Ana), of Dallas; James Burge (Megan), of Santa Barbara; William Burge (Alyssa), of Pasadena; Henry Burge (Harper), of Valencia; Diana Burge Sala (Nick Sala), of Huntington Beach; eleven great-grand children, two sisters, extended family, and friends; all of whom love him and miss him deeply. Donations may be made in his name to The Diana and Milan Cheyovich Memorial Fund at St. Stevens Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Alhambra.
