MY VIEW
Janusz Nieduzak: Remember the struggle for freedom and peace
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The observance of Veterans Day evokes memories of my long trail from the Soviet Gulag. Needless to say, the living conditions there were beyond human imagination. In that hopeless situation, a ray of hope came into sight.
After Hitler’s attack on the Soviets in 1941 and his rapid advance toward Moscow, Stalin was desperate. So he made an agreement with the Polish government in exile to free Polish prisoners of war and deported Polish civilians in order to form a Polish Army on Russian soil to fight the common enemy. Thousands of deportees, including myself, took advantage and joined the Polish Army.
Because of shortages of simple necessities, the army moved to the Middle East to join the Western Allies. After intensive training in the Iraqi desert, the Polish Second Corps moved to Italy, where it distinguished itself on many battlefronts, especially Monte Cassino.
At 11 p. m. on May 11, 1944, the Second Corps launched a fierce attack at the fortress. A sudden uniform blast of countless artillery shells changed night’s darkness into daylight. It took seven days and nights of constant fighting until finally, on May 18, the Polish flag was hoisted on top of the ruins of Monte Cassino. Despite heavy losses, it was a great moment.
Later, the Second Corps moved north alongside the Adriatic front, capturing many strategic points. Though it was a long time ago, certain moments are so vivid for me it seems like only yesterday.
When World War II finally ended, the Allied soldiers were enthusiastically welcomed home. But Polish soldiers, who so gallantly fought side by side with the Allies, did not have a home to return to. With the Allies’ consent, Poland was given away to the Soviets.
Polish soldiers were shocked and bitterly disappointed. In protest to such an unjust decision, they decided to remain in the free world. After the demobilization in England, they scattered all over the world to build a new life.
The U. S. Congress passed a bill allowing some ex-servicemen entry to this country. Some of them, myself included, settled in Western New York. The beginning wasn’t easy. I was working as a machinist and taking evening classes to improve my English and my trade. I also tried to learn about America and its people, who built this great country. My wife, Krystyna, worked in a bank. We raised three children and provided them with a good education and have instilled in them a sense of responsibility and patriotism.
On this Veterans Day, as we honor all veterans and their sacrifices, we will also mention with pride all those remaining who keep their memories alive.
In September, I had the honor to represent the Polish Veterans of World War II from the United States at the World Convention in Warsaw, Poland. Despite the fact that these veterans were in their late 80s, they traveled long distances from many countries, yearning to be together with their comrades, maybe for the last time.
As I watched all these veterans excitedly talking about their experiences, I thought to myself that it doesn’t matter how old we are. What matters is that our memories are young, that they are very important and, most of all, that for us veterans, the memories will remain forever priceless.
As a member of the American Legion and a longtime commander of Post 33 in Buffalo, I have long pondered how to preserve all these memories for posterity. In 2003, our post erected a monument dedicated to World War II veterans in the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park. This symbolic memorial will serve as a perpetual record of our struggle for freedom and peace.
Published: November 11, 2009, 12:30 am