In the month of April 1915, during World War I, the first recorded ethnic cleansing of the 20th century began in historic Armenian provinces in western Turkey and continued until 1.5 million were dead and hundreds of thousands escaped into the world diaspora. Estimates are that only 25 percent of ethnic Armenians remained in the world.

Although most of our father’s family was lost, 14-year-old Abraham was miraculously saved by a Greek family who hid him in their home while resident Armenians were driven out of their Black Sea port city, Ordu, onto their death march into the deserts of Dezor.

That family exposed themselves to danger and possible extinction if caught aiding young Abraham’s escape. Little did they now that the same fate awaited them in 1922 when nearly 1 million resident ethnic Greeks and Assyrians were massacred in Smyrnia and Condos, Turkey.

On Saturday, May 10, at 10 a.m., a procession will begin from the corner of John and Merrimack streets to Lowell City Hall Plaza for a flag-raising ceremony and unveiling of a monument commemorating the genocide. The monument, with its exquisite “Mothers hands Weaving” design by Daniel Hejinian, was donated by all social, fraternal, religious members and friends of the Merrimack Valley American Armenian community in New England and areas beyond.