Priit Vesilind facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Priit Vesilind
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Priit and Rima Vesilind in 2014
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Priit Juho Vesilind
4 January 1943 Tallinn, German-occupied Estonia
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| Died | 3 November 2023 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Author, photojournalist |
| Years active | 1965–2023 |
| Spouse(s) | Rima Vesilind |
| Awards |  Order of the White Star, Third Class (Estonia), 2001 |
Priit Juho Vesilind (born January 4, 1943 – died November 3, 2023) was an American writer and photojournalist. He was born in Estonia. Priit Vesilind was a senior writer for National Geographic magazine. He also wrote many non-fiction books.
Contents
Priit Vesilind's Early Life and Education
Priit Vesilind was born in 1943 in Tallinn, Estonia. This was during World War II. At that time, Germany controlled Estonia. His father, Paul Eduard Vesilind, was an engineer. His mother, Aino, worked at a bank.
In 1944, when Priit was very young, Soviet planes bombed Tallinn. The Soviet army also attacked the city. They wanted to take control of Estonia from Germany. Priit's mother, Aino, quickly took Priit and his brother Aarne. They fled by train to Czechoslovakia.
His father, Paul Eduard Vesilind, was left behind. He later traveled by ship to Danzig. He then met his family in Czechoslovakia. From there, they walked west across southern Germany. They carried Priit in a wheelbarrow. They ate dried bread and hid from air attacks. They often slept in barns.
When the war ended in May 1945, they met American soldiers. The family then lived in a camp for people who had lost their homes. This camp was in Geislingen an der Steige, Germany. Over 4,000 other Estonians lived there too. They stayed there for more than four years.
In 1949, Priit's family moved to the United States. A church helped them settle in Beaver, Pennsylvania. Priit grew up in this small town. He went to Colgate University and graduated in 1964. He earned a degree in English.
After college, he joined the United States Naval Reserve. He worked in Hawaii and became a lieutenant. Later, he earned another degree from Syracuse University. This degree was in Photography and Communications.
Priit Vesilind's Career at National Geographic
After serving in the Navy, Vesilind worked as a reporter and editor. He wrote for different newspapers. He was a sportswriter for the Atlanta Journal. He also wrote about outdoor topics for the Providence Journal.
In 1973, he joined National Geographic magazine. His first big job was to travel along the entire Ohio River. He wrote about his experiences. He worked on a towboat and at a coal terminal. He even sold peanuts at a baseball game in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Priit Vesilind worked at National Geographic for over 30 years. He became an editor for adventure and expeditions. He was also a senior writer and an expert on Europe. During his time there, he had many exciting adventures.
Amazing Adventures and Discoveries
He dived to see the sunken battleship USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This ship was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He also dived in ancient Maya caves in Mexico.
Vesilind took part in Inuit seal hunts. He followed the paths of the Vikings. He also chased tornadoes in ten different states in the U.S.
Reporting from Behind the Iron Curtain
In 1980, Vesilind took a risky trip to Estonia. At that time, Estonia was part of the Soviet Union. He wanted to report on life behind the Iron Curtain. This was a term for the border between Soviet-controlled countries and the West.
He wrote an article called "Return to Estonia" for National Geographic. It showed how much Estonians wanted to be free. People in Estonia secretly shared his article. Vesilind made more trips to Soviet countries. His articles helped Americans understand life there. An editor said he was "like a national hero in Estonia." He helped people know that Estonians were not forgotten.
Witnessing the Fall of the Berlin Wall
In November 1989, Vesilind heard that the Berlin Wall was about to fall. He quickly flew to West Berlin. He helped knock down the wall with a sledgehammer. A famous photo shows him smiling and holding a piece of the wall. He said it felt like "it's finally over."
After the wall fell, he traveled along the border between West and East Germany. He wrote about it in an article called "Berlin's Ode to Joy." He even advised National Geographic to show a united Germany in their new atlas. This was a smart idea, as Germany became one country in October 1990.
Deep Sea Exploration
In 1998, Vesilind went on another amazing trip. He went deep into the Atlantic Ocean in a Russian submarine called Mir-1. He went down about 4 miles (6.4 km) deep. He was looking for a Japanese submarine that sank during World War II. He wrote about this adventure in an article called "The Last Dive."
After leaving National Geographic, Priit Vesilind worked as a freelance writer and photographer. He lived with his wife, Rima, in Manassas, Virginia.
Awards and Recognition
In 2001, the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, gave Priit Vesilind an important award. It was called the Order of the White Star, Third Class. This award recognized his work and support for Estonia.
Priit Vesilind's Family Life
In 1966, Priit Vesilind married Rima Treviño Ford. They had two sons, Paul and William. They also had a daughter named Emili. Priit and Rima had six grandchildren.
Death
Priit Vesilind passed away in Manassas on November 3, 2023. He was 80 years old.
Published Works
- National Geographic on Assignment USA, Publisher: National Geographic Books (1997), ISBN: 0-7922-7011-8
- Horse People, Publisher: Bökforlaget Max Ström, Stockholm (2003), ISBN: 91-89204-71-9
- Eestlane Igas Sadamas—An Estonian in every Port, Publisher: Kirjastus Varrak, Tallinn (2004), ISBN: 9985-3-0837-9
- Lost Gold of the Republic: The Remarkable Quest for the Greatest Shipwreck Treasure of the Civil War Era, Publisher: Shipwreck Heritage Press (2004), ISBN: 1-933034-06-8
- Eesti Aastal 1979—Estonia in the Year 1979, Publisher: Kirjastus Varrak (2006), ISBN: 9985-3-1344-5, ISBN: 978-9985-3-1344-2
- The Singing Revolution, Publisher: Varrak Publishers Ltd (2008), ISBN: 978-9985-3-1623-8
- When the Noise Had Ended—Geislingen's DP Children Remember, Publisher: Lakeshore Press (2009), ISBN: 978-1-61539-531-6: Co-author Mai Maddisson
