On the morning of Friday, March 8, 2024, the Polish Consul General in Chicago visited the home of local resident Zofia Biernadska. The 102-year-old veteran of World War II received a special decoration from the Polish government: the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit. It was in recognition of her activism in the Polish community of Chicago, spanning over half a century. It was an award well deserved!
A trek all over the world
In April 1940, Soviet soldiers herded the then seventeen Mrs. Biernadska and her family onto boxcars and deported them from their home in Poland. The Soviets relocated the family to Siberia in what is now Kazakhstan. Surviving over a year of harsh conditions, Biernadska was one of the nearly 120,000 Polish military personnel and civilians evacuated from the Soviet Union during the period of 1941 and 1942. These men and women, adults and children, left with General Władysław Anders for Iran, where they came under British command.
It was in Iran that Biernadska joined the Women’s Auxiliary Service of the Polish Army. She was assigned to 318 Field Canteen and Mobile Library Company of the 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division. The unit saw action in the Italian Campaign. At the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, she helped at a field hospital, handing out water and comforting the wounded.
For four months, and after four assaults, Allied forces fought dislodged German troops from the mountaintop monastery of Monte Cassino. Polish II Corps alone had over 900 soldiers killed in action. The Poles were the first to enter the monastery and shortly thereafter, they hoisted their country’s flag over the ruins.
The actions of Polish troops at Monte Cassino are revered in the annals of Polish history. On the eve of the battle’s conclusion, soldier and poet Feliks Konarski penned “The Red Poppies of Monte Cassino.” It became one of the most popular Polish soldier’s songs from the war. Konarski also made his way to Chicago, where he too became active in the Polish community. He is buried amongst comrades in the Polish Veterans Section at Maryhill Catholic Cemetery in Niles.
Read more on the Polish Veterans Section at Maryhill Cemetery in Niles.: Poland decorates a 102-year-old World War II veteran in ChicagoFollowing the war, Biernadska briefly lived in England. That is where she married a fellow Polish veteran and participant of the Battle of Monte Cassino. Then in 1948 the couple emigrated to Argentina and resided there for many years, before emigrating to Chicago in the 1960s.
Awarded the Order of Merit
Biernadska’s Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit came in recognition of her activism in Chicago’s Polish community. She began her work over half a century ago and took part in numerous organizations. These include the Polish Combatant’s Association (SPK), the 5th Polish Kresowa Infantry Division Veterans Association, the Polish Scouting Association, and the Polish Army Veterans Association (PAVA).
A frequently presenter at Polish language schools in the Chicago area, many students heard Biernadska’s stories. She has a particularly strong affiliation with General Kazimierz Pulaski Polish School in Hardwood Heights. As a volunteer, she directed the school’s annual nativity play and other performances for many years.
Her award ceremony on March 8, 2024, took place at her home on the North Side of Chicago. Presenting the decoration, signed into effect in September 2023, was the Consul General of Poland in Chicago, Dr. Paweł Zyzak. Also in attendance were family members, journalists, and representatives from the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), 12th Polish Uhlan Regiment historical reenactment group, and PAVA Post 90. I had the privilege of representing the last group along with my fellow member Tomasz Dąbrowski.
Immediately following the ceremony Mrs. Biernadska’s family served tea and cake. The guests then listened attentively as the veteran as she recalled wartime stories. She became emotional when asked about the Battle of Monte Cassino. It was an “okropny” experience, horrible. Her lovingly put together wartime photo album, containing snapshots from Iran, Italy, and elsewhere, made its way around.
The entire visit took a little over two hours. Gradually the guests began to leave one by one. Left in good spirits, the veteran also had several beautiful bouquets of flowers decorating her house, gifts for International Women’s Day!
