56 years ago, in September, a bloody war was being waged for our state and national existence. Betrayed by its neighbors, Poland succumbed to the onslaught of Hitler’s and Stalin’s hordes. Every year, during this month, we bow our heads over the graves of thousands of defenders who laid on the altar of their homeland what was most precious to them—their lives. Every September, soldiers from our garrison meet with those who followed the battle trail and whom the soldier’s, gulag, camp and underground fate allowed to survive, with those who fought for national identity and broadly understood freedom. This year, too, a similar visit took place on the grounds of the barracks of the XVIII Rocket Regiment. After the ceremonial assembly, flowers were laid at the monument to the soldiers of the Second Army of the Polish Army.
In the consciousness of Poles, September 17, 1939, has exceptionally negative associations. For the residents of Drohobych who arrived in Bolesławiec 50 years ago, it marked the beginning of a new life. For the soldiers of our garrison, this date has yet another meaning. On that day, September 17, 1945, Lieutenant General Stanisław POPŁAWSKI, acting on the basis of a directive from the High Command of the Polish Army, issued an order in which he stated, among other things: “As of today, the former command of the First Army of the Polish Army shall be regarded as the Staff of the Silesian Military District.” The newly established district comprised units of the First and Second Armies of the Polish Army and the First Armored Corps. Among them were also the units of the Second Army of the Polish Army and the First Armored Corps that had been stationed in towns neighboring Bolesławiec in the spring of 1945, preparing for the final confrontation with fascism.
The first Polish military unit in Bolesławiec after the end of the war was the 13th Cavalry Regiment, whose core consisted of soldiers from a frontline blocking detachment. At the end of 1945, the soldiers were demobilized and the regiment was disbanded. An infantry regiment arrived in its place. Soon afterward, an artillery brigade arrived at the barracks facilities vacated by a Soviet regiment relocated from Pstrąże (Strachów). At the beginning of the 1960s, the garrison took on a rocket-based character. For nearly 32 years, the XVIII Artillery Brigade existed, comprising two squadrons of operational-tactical missiles. For a long time—more than a quarter of a century—a reconnaissance subunit staffed by soldiers in red berets operated there. An engineering and construction battalion was quartered there for several years. Today, the core of the garrison consists of the XVIII Rocket Regiment and the XI Bolesławiec Anti-Aircraft Regiment. They are commanded by Colonel Stanisław CHWOJNICKI, graduate of the Military Academy (also acting commander of the garrison), and Lieutenant Colonel Bogdan KOŚNY, graduate of the Military Academy.
The participation of our units’ soldiers in the city’s economic and cultural development deserves recognition. There are well-known examples of their selfless efforts to save people and property during natural disasters. Assistance to many schools holds a special place.
It is impossible to list all the forms of cooperation in which soldiers and the public have taken part over the past half-century. It is certain, however, that in the future the military will, within its capabilities, provide support to all those who need it.