I'm working on behalf of a dear Ukrainian friend. I lived in Ukraine for two years, working as a village schoolteacher. My good friend, the school vice principal, is looking for any possible descendents in America.

Her great uncle fled to the United States at some point after the start of the war. All that is known for sure is that he joined the Red Army in Dec. 1941 and that was the last her family had heard of him until they got a notice in the late 1980s from America looking for his relatives in Ukraine. For some reason, likely due to telecommunications and postal service of the turbulent Glasnost era, contact was never established.

My questions are these:

1. I've got 6 possible variations of the surname so far, and none of them are turning up the desired results in Ancestry. They are:

- Bugayenko
- Bugaenko
- Bugajenko
- Buhayenko
- Buhaenko
- Buhajenko

What other resources could I search?

2. What would be the process for a former soldier immigrating to America? Would he have to have clearance from the military? Would he be declared as a refugee seeking political asylum? Would there necessarily be naturalization records?

3. Are there special databases for political emigrees?

4. I hit a big dead end with the Red Cross, who I was counting on for help. Because I'm not a family member, merely a liaison for the descendent in Ukraine, they cannot help me. And the Ukrainian chapter of the Red Cross doesn't provide assistance easily. Are there any other organizations that dealt with displaced immigrants during World War II?