They did not agree to Poland becoming the 17th Soviet republic. They refused to accept injustice and contempt. They did not give in to the tortured and persecuted. They put their homeland before their own lives. On March 1, we celebrate their day, the Day of Wyklaniec Soldiers. 

President Andrzej Duda awarded veterans and people who cultivate the memory of the Wyklêcie Soldiers. The ceremony was attended by, among others, Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński, who in his letter to the participants of the celebrations in Podkarpacie wrote:

The Conclave Soldiers deserve a special place in our national consciousness. They were united by the conviction that they could not passively watch the enslavement of the nation and the transformation of Poland into a vassal state of a foreign power. They did not buy into the communist regime by betraying their ideals, but went into battle, even though they knew that if they were alone, relying only on their own strength, they would have to suffer defeat. They fought in defense of honor and human dignity, and their steadfastness became the seeds of future victory. Today we know that it was from their sacrifice that independent Poland was reborn.

For decades the communist propaganda falsely attributed the worst crimes to them. It wanted to condemn to oblivion those who in the times of terror and enslavement gave splendid proof of valor and courage, patriotism and soldierly bravery. We, the citizens of the independent state - the state of which they dreamed - have the responsibility to nurture the memory of the heroes of our freedom who have so far remained silent, often nameless.

Therefore, with appreciation and gratitude I received the news about the celebration of the National Day of Remembrance of the Aged Soldiers in Rzeszow. Thank you for your memory and respect for those who fought for a homeland free and independent from Soviet influence and communist ideology. The truth about their heroic and tragic experiences is an important part of our heritage and identity.

Poles, fighting for the freedom of their nation and homeland, wrote many heroic and tragic pages of history. However, even against this background the history of the second conspiracy is particularly dramatic.

Accursed by the communists, the soldiers took up arms against the entire power of the Soviet empire. They stood up for their countrymen who were subjected to Stalinist terror, they fought in defense of military honor and human dignity. They exposed the lies of party propaganda.

The communist authorities persecuted them with all ruthlessness. Regular troops of the army, militia and secret police were directed against the underground forces. The most faithful soldiers of the Republic of Poland were imprisoned, tortured and, in the majesty of judicial lawlessness, sentenced to death, infamy and ultimate oblivion. However, the regime proved to be less durable than the Poles' attachment to freedom and patriotic values.

The ceremonies held in Krosno are a testimony of the truth about this painful heritage of our recent history. At the same time, they are an expression of memory and reverence that the local community pays to those who fought for a free and sovereign Poland.

Thanking everyone who spreads the knowledge of this important chapter of the recent history of our homeland, I join the participants of the event and pay tribute to the unbroken heroes.

Photo: Marta Olejnik/ KS