The holiday, commemorating the breaching of the Pomeranian Wall by soldiers of the 23rd Kołobrzeg Light Artillery Regiment, was preceded by a meeting of the Bolesławiec branch of the Association of Polish Artillerymen, held on March 23. The meeting summarized the branch’s four years of activity and provided an opportunity to learn about the history of artillery units stationed over several decades at the Bolesławiec garrison, as well as the military equipment of the 23rd Artillery Regiment and the US 588th Engineer Battalion.
At the same time, Polish and American soldiers competed in fitness events at the regiment’s sports facilities. After a volleyball match, teams of soldiers competed side by side in a summer biathlon relay. The final event was an endurance triathlon, in which each competitor had to run, cycle, and walk on an elliptical trainer over a distance of several kilometers within a short time interval.
On March 24, the ceremony began with Mass at the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Bolesławiec. The Eucharist, celebrated for the artillerymen, was officiated by the dean of the Bolesławiec West Deanery, Reverend Prelate Stanisław Kusik, the parish priest of Saints Cyril and Methodius, retired Colonel Reverend Wojciech Mroszczak, and the chaplain of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, Second Lieutenant Reverend Paweł Antkiewicz.
The main part of the celebrations was a military roll call, whose importance was underscored by the presence of Colonel Piotr Zieja, representing the commander of the 11th “Lubusz” Armored Cavalry Division, Colonel Zenon Wiśniewski, Deputy Head of the WRiA Board of the General Command of the Branches of the Armed Forces, commanders of the Black Division’s units, veterans, representatives of artillery circles led by former head of WRiA, retired Brigadier General Antoni Skibiński, and city and county authorities. Soldiers of the 588th Engineer Battalion, part of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, also took part in the artillery roll call, led by their commander, Colonel George Mitroka, as did a delegation of Czech artillerymen from the 13th Artillery Regiment in Jince, who were visiting the Bolesławiec regiment.
After the Polish and American national flags were raised and the national anthems were played to the accompaniment of a military band from Wrocław, the commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, Colonel Paweł Świtalski, welcomed the invited guests and recalled the origins of the holiday being celebrated:
For every military unit, its holiday is special among military holidays. For the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment, that day is March 18, commemorating the Battle of Kołobrzeg. At that time, after heavy fighting and breaching the Pomeranian Wall, the artillerymen of the 23rd Kołobrzeg Light Artillery Regiment of the 6th Pomeranian Infantry Division stood on the shore of the Baltic Sea, reclaimed for Poland. Our rich artillery traditions are a source of pride, but at the same time they oblige us to cultivate them with the utmost care.
The artillerymen’s ceremony provided an opportunity to present decorations and promotion certificates and to honor soldiers for special achievements and their personal contribution to carrying out official duties. After decisions and orders were read out, Captain Artur Żebrowski was awarded the Afghanistan Star, while Captain Jakub Wołyński received his promotion certificate to the rank of major from the commander. In addition, soldiers received material awards and commemorative badges of the 23rd Artillery Regiment awarded by the chapter.
The invited guests then spoke. Colonel Piotr Zieja emphasized the role and significance of the 23rd Artillery Regiment among the units of the 11th Armored Cavalry Division and, on behalf of the Black Division’s commander, thanked the soldiers for their commitment and the high quality of their work. The commander of the 588th Engineer Battalion, Colonel George Mitroka, highlighted the good cooperation established so far with the artillerymen, while the city and county authorities praised the soldiers’ activity in the life of the city and region.
The memory of the historical predecessors of the 23rd Artillery Regiment and generations of wartime artillerymen was honored by the reading of the roll of remembrance and a ceremonial volley. This was followed, to the accompaniment of the military band from Wrocław, by the singing of the Representative Song of the Polish Army and the Representative Song of the United States Army. At the end, a delegation from the military community laid flowers beneath a memorial plaque dedicated to the historical predecessors of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, fallen and deceased artillerymen, and soldiers of units stationed at the Bolesławiec garrison.
The artillery roll call concluded with a parade of subunits and artillery equipment used by the regiment.
At the same time, events accompanying the regiment’s holiday celebrations were held on the unit’s grounds for students from Bolesławiec schools and children from preschools. The gates of the 23rd Artillery Regiment’s barracks were open to them from early morning, and as part of the open barracks day they had the opportunity to see the military equipment used by the regiment’s subunits and the specialized equipment of American sappers. The artillerymen prepared drawing and shooting contests for the youngest visitors, while the American soldiers offered a “ride” in a HMMWV.
The celebrations of the Bolesławiec regiment’s holiday concluded with a meeting of generations of artillerymen.