Asa Jennings orchestrated the Safe exodus of 1.2 million refugees from Asia Minor during the Turkish war of Independence / Greco-Turkish war (1919-22).

In Asa Jennings remarkable life, he survived tuberculosis of the Spine after being told by 35 Doctors that he had only weeks to live .

Having Faced death, an inner conviction dawned that his life was saved to serve some higher purpose.

He dedicated his life to selflessly serve others .

Asa Jennings is largely an unknown hero, who courageously established an agreement with Mustafa Kemal (aka Ataturk )commander of the Turkish Army,who gave his word  to allow for the safe passage of more than 350,000 women,children & old men stranded on the 2 kilometer Quai of Smyrna/Izmir , back in September 1922.

 Asa Jennings was appointed admiral of the Greek navy in September 1922.

Asa through Silent diplomacy & dextrous diplomatic maneuvering , was finally able to convince Prime Minister Gounaris of Greece that he was abandoning his brethren, and to trust the word of Ataturk. 

After a tense and  dramatic exchange with PM. Gounaris,  Asa Jennings was appointed ,Admiral  of the Greek Navy with the command of 56 naval and merchant vessels under his command. As he No longer feared death he led by example and was at the bow of the Naval Vessel which led the armada of vessels to orchestrate one of the greatest rescue missions of all time . 

Ataturk had only given 7 days to complete this complex logistical operations and he coordinated with all the 56 captains of each vessel day and night, the safe exodus of over 250,500 desperate souls fleeing the great Fires of Smyrna known as the 'Great Catastrophe' .

A Daring Rescue

In the annals of history, there are tales of individuals who, against all odds, rise to extraordinary acts of heroism. Asa Jennings was one such individual. During the tumultuous period of the Greco-Turkish War (the Turkish War of Independence), Jennings, an unassuming American relief worker, embarked on a mission of unprecedented courage and compassion.

As the war ravaged the region, millions were left displaced, their lives hanging in the balance. Jennings, driven by an unwavering sense of duty, orchestrated the evacuation of up to 1.2 million refugees, along the coast of Asia Minor saving them from certain doom. His efforts were not only a testament to his strategic prowess but also to his profound empathy. He negotiated tirelessly with military leaders, coordinated an Armada of ships, and braved the chaos of war, to ensure the safe passage of those in peril.

You are warmly invited to attend this event on 22nd February 2025. We will address the following questions.

• How is it that a humble man who faced certain death from Tuberculosis of the Spine in 1904 developed the capacity to save countless Lives against all the odds?
• Does Asa Jennings deeds awaken in us a prototypical archetype of what it truly means to be human? 
• What can we learn to apply to our own lives from a man that transcended both warring nations and earned the trust of both the Turkish and Greek leaders to allow for the safe transition of over another 1,400,000 Turkish and Greek People ?. (As part of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, Greece and Turkey agreed to uproot two million people in a massive population exchange, the lasting effects of which are still felt by some in both countries today).

• What is the possible interpretations as to why the Deeds of Asa Kent Jennings remain largely unknown?
• How can we achieve peace within our souls in a world full of chaos and wars?
  

 A discussion panel will be set up to discuss this extraordinary Story which has been thoroughly researched from historical records to give an account of the events from a Greek Perspective and from a Turkish perspective . 

Presenters: Berna Koker Poljak whose grandmother was part of the Great population exchange of 400,000 turkish people living in Greece 

               Christo Miliotis , whose mother was a refugee in Mytilene Lesvos from 1922-1929. 

You are encouraged to bring Greek or Turkish food to share in the social room downstairs.