The anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw was commemorated in Bolesławiec with a ceremonial assembly of soldiers of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment and employees of the national defense sector, attended by city and county authorities, veterans, members of associations and unions bringing together Polish Armed Forces soldiers, commanders and heads of garrison institutions, as well as the commanders of uniformed services.
“The Polish Armed Forces Day celebrated today commemorates one of the greatest victories of the Polish armed forces. On this day, we remember the heroism of August 1920, when the fate of one of the most important battles in world history was decided—a battle in which the Polish army saved Western European civilization and defended the independence that had only just been regained,” said the commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, Col. Paweł Świtalski.
The ceremonial assembly provided an opportunity to thank the soldiers for their service, present promoted soldiers with appointment documents for the next military ranks, and honor soldiers and civilian employees of the armed forces in other ways.
After the decisions of superiors and the commander’s special order had been read out, Colonel Paweł Świtalski, accompanied by the Mayor of the City of Piotr Roman and Bolesławiec County Head Karol Stasik, presented appointment documents and letters of congratulations to soldiers of the 23rd Artillery Regiment. Senior Warrant Officer Robert Szewczyk was promoted to the rank of senior staff warrant officer; Senior Sergeant Mirosław Ćwik to junior warrant officer; Corporal Wiesława Koziarska and Corporal Grzegorz Zając to senior corporal; and Private First Class Tomasz Bartosz, Private First Class Leszek Woźny, Private First Class Łukasz Lehmann and Private First Class Filip Opała to senior private.
Letters of congratulations were presented to: Senior Staff Warrant Officer Krzysztof Kmita, Junior Warrant Officer Tomasz Mlak, Lance Corporal Krzysztof Kosior, Lance Corporal Krzysztof Stupiec, Senior Corporal Zbigniew Boczar, Corporal Krzysztof Faltyn, Corporal Wiesława Koziarska, Senior Private Piotr Szmidt, Senior Private Marcin Pysiewicz, Senior Private Kamil Stankiewicz, Senior Private Janusz Gala, Senior Private Przemysław Markowski and Private First Class Mariusz Rusznica. Lieutenant Łukasz Ratański, winner of a knowledge contest about Marshal Piłsudski, was also honored and received a material prize.
To emphasize their merits and impeccable service in the 23rd Artillery Regiment, and at the request of the Chapter of the 23rd Artillery Regiment Commemorative Badge, the commander of the Bolesławiec artillerymen presented the badges to: Senior Private Krzysztof Mirczewski, Senior Private Mariusz Stemplowski, Private First Class Jarosław Iwański, Private First Class Janusz Gala and Private First Class Jacek Bochnia. The honored soldiers also received congratulations from the former commander of the 23rd Artillery Brigade, retired Col. Jan Biały, and the president of the Bolesławiec branch of the Association of Polish Artillerymen, retired Col. Henryk Harkot.
The ceremonial assembly also provided an opportunity to welcome newly arrived officers into the ranks of the 23rd Artillery Regiment. A symbolic presentation of black shoulder boards to Second Lieutenants Daniel Kryjak, Kornel Imiłowski and Arkadiusz Waśkowski by the regiment commander and the commander of the 3rd Rocket Artillery Squadron, where the soldiers took up their first posts, was a meaningful testimony to the beginning of their service in a unit forming part of the Black Division.
The city and county leaders then spoke, emphasizing the soldiers’ role in ensuring security and the good cooperation between the regiment’s soldiers and the local community. On the occasion of Polish Armed Forces Day, they also extended warm wishes and words of appreciation to the soldiers and civilian employees of the armed forces.
In tribute to the soldiers who fought for the freedom of the reborn Polish state, a roll call of remembrance was read, after which the honor company fired a ceremonial salute. Following the performance and singing by the ceremony’s participants of the “Representative Song of the Polish Armed Forces,” the soldiers’ assembly concluded with a parade of the regiment’s subunits.