What happened here
In November 1920 he came to the War School in Kaunas as a volunteer with his classmates and graduated on 14 December 1921 (4th, “Darius” class). After returning from his studies in Brussels, in 1934 he became head of the technical section of the Pioneer Battalion in Šančiai. On 23 November 1934 he was promoted to major.
From November 1937 he taught pioneer tactics and engineering at the War School, and at the end of 1938 became a full-time lecturer and lieutenant colonel. In the last class of 1940 he also taught engineering to Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas.
In 1938 the family bought a plot with a small house in Panemunė, Vaidoto g. 179 (now Plento g. 1). On 12 July 1944 he said goodbye to his brother Valerijonas in Kaunas for the last time. In May 1948 Genovaitė and five of the children were deported to Siberia from this house.
“Not one step from my land – that is my resolve; only my family worries me.”
To his brother Valerijonas, Kaunas, 12 July 1944
What you will see
- The Colonel Juozas Vitkus Engineering Battalion of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (Kareivinių g. 9): named after him on 31 December 1999; a memorial plaque by the headquarters, a wayside shrine blessed in 2007, and a memorial museum inside. Visits by arrangement with the battalion [to be confirmed].
- Plento g. 1 – the former family home; the memorial society is registered at this address. There is also a memorial plaque at the War School.
Born at his book-smuggler grandfather’s farmstead by the Šerkšnė.
03 · 1940–1944VilniusThe underground: “Kęstutis”, the LLA underground war school.
12 · 2023 10 21Antakalnis CemeteryBuried with state honours, near Vanagas.
Sources (in Lithuanian): V. Vitkus, “Pulkininkas Kazimieraitis”, 2nd ed., Kaunas, 2017, pp. 18–19, 35–39, 47, 180; fact base (battalion, 1999). Virtual exhibition “J. Vitkus-Kazimieraitis” (virtualios-parodos.lt). The map is schematic; we will confirm exact coordinates and routes with the museum.