Armenian fedayi, Monte Avo Melkonian t-shirt. A commander and chief in the liberation of Artsakh (Nagorno Krabagh). He led his troops to victory, one battle after another, despite being vastly outnumbered and being less equipped than their enemy. Monte spent his entire adult life working for justice and defending Armenians and their homeland.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the MONTE MELKONIAN FOUNDATION.
Monte spent his entire adult life working for justice and defending Armenians in Iran, Lebanon, and Armenia. Monte is widely acknowledged to be one of the individuals most responsible for re-forging Nagorno Karabagh's fighters into a disciplined force that defended the land against overwhelming odds.
Monte completed his bachelor’s degree from U.C.Berkely in less than three years. The department of archaeology at Oxford University sought him out for graduate work. However, Monte traveled to Iran, where he taught English and participated in the movement to overthrow the Shah.
In the fall of 1978, Monte made his way to Beirut, in time to participate in the defense of the Armenian quarter against rightist attacks.
In 1990 Monte finally arrived in Armenia. He focused his energy on Karabagh. "If we loose [Karabagh]," the bulletin of the Karabagh Defense Forces quoted him as saying, "we turn the final page of our people’s history." He believed that, if Azeri forces succeeded in deporting Armenians from Karabagh, they would advance on Zangezur and other regions of Armenia. Thus, he saw the fate of Karabagh as crucial for the long-term security of the entire Armenian nation. Ever true to his convictions, he fought in the Shahumian region north of Karabagh for three months in the fall of 1991. Forces with which he fought helped to recapture several key Armenian villages from Azeri forces.
