On a Saturday morning, students at General Wladyslaw Anders Polish School in Des Plaines received a special treat. Visiting them was a group of Polish and American military veterans, along with myself, who came to give a special lesson. For two hours history came alive as they learned about World War II and handled original military equipment. It was a memorable visit that both the students and guests will not soon forget!
A history lesson like no other
On the Morning of Saturday, February 24, 2024, a member of the veteran’s post that I belong to, Polish Army Veterans Assocation (PAVA) Post 90, gave a living history presentation at General Wladyslaw Anders Polish School in Des Plaines. The topic was on the Polish II Corps and the Battle of Monte Cassino, in which over 900 Polish soldiers lost their lives. Presenting the lesson was Tomasz Dąbrowski who came dressed in his II Corps reenactor’s uniform. Tomasz is also a member and co-founder of the WWII Polish Army Historical Assocation in Chicago. In one classroom he set up a display, covering a table with original and reproduction military equipment. I went along to assist him.
Accompanying Tomasz and I were three other guests. One served as a Polish Army airborne officer in the 1970s, Jan Puchała. The other two were veterans of the United States Marine Corps, Richard Wojewnik and Barney Dufner. Both belonged to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5979 in River Grove. Richard participated in Operation Eagle Claw, the failed operation to rescue American hostages in Iran in 1980, and Operation Desert Storm. Barney served in the Vietnam War where he received the Silver Star, having fought at the Battle of Khe Sanh.
At first the veterans visited the younger students in their classrooms. They asked if the children knew what the term “veteran” meant, with the conservation in both English and Polish. The children, boys and girls alike, cheerfully played with Jan’s red military beret. Three boys gleefully looked at each other when asked if they wanted to jump out of airplanes. After more than half an hour, the veterans and I returned to our display for our presentation with the older grades.
We began with introductions. Each participant in the five-person spoke a few words about their background. Following which, Tomasz gave his brief but thorough lecture on the Polish II Corps and the Battle of Monte Cassino. He made a point to describe the horrors of war and the valiant actions of Allied soldiers to capture the mountain top monastery of Monte Cassino.
Next went Jan who gave a short presentation on his area of expertise, the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade. The unit fought in Operation Market Garden in late 1944. Afterwards Richard asked the students if they knew the symbolic meaning of poppies, which many did not. One of the most popular Polish soldier’s songs from the war was “The Red Poppies of Monte Cassino.” This conversation led to my talk on Polish immigration to Chicago after WWII. The author of the words to “The Red Poppies” song was poet Feliks Konarski, known also as Ref-ren, whose burial at Maryhill Cemetery in Niles, less than 3.5 miles away, came as a shock to the students. Soon after I was done, the students were free to come up to see our display and to ask questions.
The guests learning as much as the students
The entire two-hour visit went a lot better than expected. Originally only Tomasz Dąbrowski, Jan Puchała, and I, were scheduled to speak. But a few days before the planned presentation, PAVA Post 90’s friends at VFW Post 5979 in River Grove asked if they could come out and support us. They were more than welcomed. Richard Wojewnik proved to be a popular speaker with the students and expressed his admiration for the children learning Polish. As the child of Polish immigrants displaced by the war, growing up in America in the 1960s and 1970s, he did not have the privilege of becoming fluent in his family’s native language. His parents wanted to assimilate to American culture as much as possible.
Likewise, Barney Dufner gained a following amongst the students. Several came up to speak with him at the end of the presentation. The teachers were also interested in hearing his stories at a lunch prepared by the faculty.
Not only did the students learn that day. At times side conversations broke out during the presentation between the veterans. During my talk on immigration, I commented how Richard’s father was at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, to which Tomasz exclaimed so was his. The students listened on as the two men briefly discussed their fathers. And of course, the veterans learned about each other’s militaries. For instance, the Americans received a lesson in Polish ranks, specifically that the four stars on Jan’s uniform did not signify a general, but a captain!
It was a combined American and Polish effort just like at the Battle of Monte Cassino, along with other Allied armies, that led to a successful conclusion. We, the guests, imparted on the students our knowledge and hopefully inspired them to learn more. The students got to experience a hands-on presentation and a break from their regular studies. It was a victory that left everyone happy.
