On Saturday, April 10th, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, and 94 other Polish dignitaries were flying to Russia for a 70th anniversary ceremony to remember the brutal slaying of nearly 22,000 Polish citizens (8,000 being Polish military officers) instituted by the Soviet Politburo and Joseph Stalin, leader of the Communist Soviet Union.
We forget in America that World War II actually began on Sept. 1, 1939, when Germany and the U.S.S.R. invaded and butchered Poland. The Katyn Massacre, which occurred on March 5, 1940, focused on removing the "intelligentsia" of Poland. President Kaczynski and those other passengers did not arrive at this somber ceremony adding another chapter of pain and suffering when the plane crashed. Polish history is like reading a tragic play.
During one act of that history America was blessed with Thaddeus Kosciuszko who came and served during the American Revolution. Inspired by Independence he went back to Poland and fought the Russians, eventually ending up in exile in Switzerland while watching his land being overtaken before his death in 1817.
Poland has suffered at the hands of many but the spark of freedom has always been present. President Kaczynski was a staunch nationalist. Poland has been a great friend of the United States and has sent troops to fight the war on terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the citizens of Poland as they adjust to this tragic loss. From one Warsaw to another and from Kosciusko County to the land of Kosciuszko, we ask God's comfort for their mourning, wisdom as they replace leadership and continued strength in the cause of Liberty.
