Andrius Butkūnas

Andrius Butkūnas (Known as Andrius Butkevičius until 1933.) He returned to Lithuania in 1918.

Military career in Lithuania Upon returning to Lithuania, Butkūnas was engaged in partisan warfare against the Red Army. He was made head of the regiment's training company in January 1921. On 15 October 1923, Butkūnas graduated from the Higher Officers' Courses in Kaunas. On 1 August 1925, Butkūnas was made the commander of his regiment's battalion. On 10 September 1929, Butkūnas was transferred to the 4th Infantry Regiment and made an assistant to the regiment's commander. He later became the commander of the regiment's 1st battalion. On 23 November 1930, Butkūnas was made a lieutenant colonel. Butkūnas finished Higher Officers' Courses for a second time on 29 August 1931. He was made the commander of the school's battalion 19 April 1932. On 23 November 1932 Butkūnas was promoted to colonel. On 4 August 1934, Butkūnas was made the commander of the 8th Infantry Regiment. Butkūnas signed the first decree of the battalion on 1 July 1941, in which he thanked the leader of "Greater Germany" Adolf Hitler for the liberation from the "Red Terror" and called on the battalion soldiers to follow in the footsteps of the fallen June 1941 rebels and 1919 volunteers and to work selflessly for the "reconstruction of their liberated homeland". Another secret decree stationed guards near important buildings in Kaunas such as the cabinet of ministers, the radio station, and the electricity station. On 3 July, Butkūnas appointed commanders of individual companies of the battalion.

On 24 July 1941, Butkūnas was removed from his position after a coup by the Iron wolf organization and the Gestapo. Butkūnas was subsequently appointed as the director of a brewery in Pilviškiai.

Later years In 1944, Butkūnas and his family moved to Germany, where he became the first commandant of a forced labour camp in Geesthacht. He also acted as the chairman of a displaced persons camp in Traunstein. In 1949, he emigrated to the United States, settling in Philadelphia, and later in St. Charles, Illinois. He died in the city in 1975 and was buried in its cemetery.

Awards Butkūnas was awarded the Order of the Cross of Vytis (fourth and fifth degrees; 1919 and 1920), Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (fourth degree; 1928), Order of Vytautas the Great (third degree; 1936), Independence Medal, Young Lithuania Union insignia (second degree), and the Latvian War of Independence 10 Year Anniversary Commemorative Medal.

Family Butkūnas was married to Sofija Singailaitė. They had a daughter named Aldona Zofija, and two sons named Romanas and Andrius Algimantas.