Feast of Assumption & Polish Army Day 15.08.2020

Salvete Omnes,
 
 
 from Marcin Bielski Polish Chronicle circa 1540


 
Today, on this fine day of  the Feast of Assumption in the Third Polish Republic (Respublica Poloniae, Rzeczpospolita Polska)  the  Polish Armed Forces celebrate their holiday, commemorating more than 1000 years of Polish warriors, knights and soldiers service in the defense of the Polish people, tradition and culture.





  Jan Matejko pinxit

    so naturally I am cheering the 1000 years of Polish Soldiers history and service, and pray to Our Holy Mather, Queen of Poland, for another 1000 years of Polish Army proud and victorious service to the Polish people, hopefully in the brotherly alliance with the United States and US Armed Forces..
vivat!

...
2007 Parade with President Lech Kaczynski, killed in the Smolensk airplain crassh April10, 2010, presiding


 
Due to the 'covidpandemia' and many fears and loathing within the Polish government's decision makers, there will be no Polish Army parade this year,  but today the current Polish President, escorted by the elements of the Polish Army Guard Regiment,
 
accompanied by the US Secretary of State  Mike Pompeo ( and other foreign and domestic officials) paid homage at the famous Unknown Soldier Tomb in Warsaw, where traditionally there will be very festive change of military guard that day and night stands at the Tomb.

...
Today in Poland they celebrate the 100 years of the so called battle of Warsaw - or the Warsaw operation as there was no single battle but a number of engagements fought  from the north  near Torun to the south near Dubienka & Chelm .
see the maps by general Sikorski

 

 
The Polish Nation is the true hero of this victory over the Bolsheviks, and some of the forgotten leaders of the conflict are:

prime minister and peasant leader Wincenty Witos
 
General Tadeusz Jordan-Rozwadowski - the mastermind of the victory , here with the generals Zagorski and Sikorski.
 
General Wladyslaw Sikorski - eg his 1928 work on the war available 'libre' from the Wielkopolska Digital Library. - his 5th army delivered the victory at the Battle of Warsaw

and countless others, including the American pilot Merian C. Cooper
 
and other Americans (of the 7th Kosciuszko Squadron) commanded by colonel Cedric Erald Fauntleroy  who in the photo below is about to received his Virtuti Miltiari Cross.
 
and many, many other known and unknown soldiers who fought bravely in furtherance of the Polish victory under the overall command of Jozef Pilsudski.

Hail their memory - Ave!

Salvete

ps
Belarus has been in upheaval since the last Sunday elections -  we are witnessing our brothers and sisters, including our Belarusian Polonia,  in more or less open defiance and resistance to their current almost three decades-long leadership - may they achieve what is best for them - Buona Fortuna!

3 Budrysy

Salve, a little poetry today, but first about some unpleasant things  i.e., politics. I am very sceptical (or even hostile) about  the present day politics of Lithuania towards my Polish brethren in that country. I appears  this is not only mine sentiment as evidenced by this article. During the last war the Lithuanians joined first with the Soviet in their aggression against Poland in 1939, and then when the Soviets occupied Lithuanian supported the Germans, actively participating in Holocaust against the Jews and Poles alike.  Vilnius was taken from Poland by the Yalta Conference (thanks Mr, Roosevelt) Note that Vilnius was the 6th largest Polish city (3rd was Lviv) in Poland in 1939, nowadays is a capital of Lithuanian-EU. Nowadays Belarus occupies most of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's territory, and also has a very large Polish minority, sharing with us common history and culture. Ad rem, I do like this Adam Mickiewicz's poem about these ancient, pagan 'bohaterowie' (baghatur), valiant warriors or knights, who set out  from their forests in search of glory, plunder and captives. It is set during the historical period of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian expansion (towards the Ruthenian principalities of the former Kievan Rus), when Masovian Duchy and Polish Kingdom suffered yearly 'razzias' and rapine inflicted on us by these pagan Lithuanians. Famously fatefull marriage of King of Polish Kingdom (rex) Saint Jadwiga and grand prince Jogailla (known since then by his Christian name as Władysław Jagiełło) ended these border conflicts... until 1919 or so. But that is another story. Nota bene, our Polish word 'budrys' is a teasing synonym for a Samogitian or Lithuanian . THE THREE BROTHERS BUDRYS Doughty Budrys the old, Lithuanian bold, He has summoned his lusty sons three. "Your chargers stand idle, now saddle and bridle And out with your broadswords," quoth he. "For with trumpets' loud braying in Wilno they're saying That our armies set forth to three goals; Gallant Olgierd[1] takes Russia and Kiejstut[2] takes Prussia And Skirgiell[3] - our neighbours the Poles, "Stout of heart and of hand, go, fight for your land With the gods of your fathers to guide you; Though I mount not this year, yet my rede ye shall hear: Ye are three and three roads ye shall ride you. "By Lake Ilmen's broad shores where fair Novgorod lowers One shall follow 'neath Olgierd's device: There are sables' black tails there are silvery veils, There are coins shining brightly like ice, "With Kiejstut's hordes ample the next son shall trample That dog's breed, the Knights of the Cross; There he amber thick-strown, vestments diamond-sown, And brocades al a marvellous gloss, "In the barren, stripped land beyond Niemen's wide strand Where goes Skirgiell, the third son shall ride; Only buckler and sword will he get as reward, But from there he shall bring him his bride. "For 'tis Poland the world over that's the land lor a lover: All the maids are like kittens at play; Faces whiter than milk, lashes soft as black silk, And their eyes - like the star-shine are they! Fifty years are now sped and my bride is long dead, The bright Pole I brought home from a raid: And yet still when I stand and gaze out toward that land, I remember the face of that maid." So he ends and they turn, he has blessed them their journey: They've armed them, they've mounted and fled: Fall and winter both pass, never word comes, alas, And old Budrys had thought his sons dead. Through the high-piling drift comes a youth riding swift, 'Neath his mantle rich booty doth hide: "Ah, a Novgorod kettle full of silver-bright metal!" - "Nay, my father, a Polish bride!" Through the high-piling drift comes a youth riding swill, 'Neath his mantle rich booty doth hide: "Ah, amber, my son, in the German land won'" - "Nay, my father, a Polish bride!" Through the high-piling drift rides the third. Ah, his gift, 'Tis the pride of the west and the east! But while yet it is hidden, old Budrys has bidden His guests to the third wedding feast.  These are the Belarusian and Russian translations [1] [2] [3] Ps although the painting by Victor Vasnetsov above purports to show three Russian warrior heroes or bogatyrs or vityaz, it nicely fits the image I always had for these horsemen. Watercolor by Juliusz Kossak showing a budrys with his captive.