At the ceremony, Polish and American soldiers were joined by the commander of the 91st Engineer Battalion, Lt. Col. Mathew Rogers, the commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, Col. Grzegorz Potrzuski, and the Mayor of Bolesławiec, Piotr Roman. After the Polish and American national flags were raised and the national anthems sung, 91st Engineer Battalion commander Mathew Rogers thanked the artillerymen and the city authorities for the kindness and sympathy shown to his subordinates during their stationing in Bolesławiec.
He also summed up the cooperation with the command and soldiers of the 23rd Artillery Regiment, expressing his thanks to the regiment commander, Col. Grzegorz Potrzuski. “We will always remember the past six months of service together fondly. I would like to thank the soldiers and commander of the regiment, who shared their unit with us and stood shoulder to shoulder with us carrying out tasks for the security of Europe. We trained together, celebrated important occasions together, competed in sports, and above all learned about Polish culture, traditions, and the service of Polish soldiers. We are grateful for the kindness shown to us and for the fact that for six months we were able to feel at home,” Lt. Col. Rogers summed up the period of joint service.
The commander of the Bolesławiec artillerymen also emphasized the good relations and benefits of their several months of cooperation. “In addition to carrying out tasks, exercises, and training together, we learned a great deal about each other’s cultures and the realities of both military and civilian life. (…) I hope that your joint service in the barracks of
the 23rd Artillery Regiment and in our city gave you satisfaction and enabled you to learn about the specifics of our service,” said Col. Grzegorz Potrzuski.
On behalf of the local authorities, Bolesławiec Mayor Piotr Roman thanked the soldiers for the time spent together and wished them a safe return to their family homes. After the speeches, the unit commanders and representatives of the local authorities exchanged mementos in thanks for their good cooperation.
The ceremony concluded with performances of the Representative Songs of the Polish Army and the United States Army.
