Hide Article Text (OCR)
BY IRMARIE JONES Recorder StaffThere are few persons living who can share personal ■ World War I memories with Mathew Kozik of 81 Homestead Ave. this Veterans Day.Kozik is only one of several surviving Franklin County res-idents who fought in a special American and Canadian-i trained Polish infantry regiment in that “war to end all wars.”: As the first vice-commander of the PolislhAmerican Vet* •; erans’ Club and its present commander, Kozik has a i scrapbook filled with yellowing clippings and a picture of the : first members and officers of the organization when it was ■ the Turners Falls Polish Veterans’ Club.After United States entered the war, the Polish National Committee and the Polish Military Commission in this conn* •’ try obtained the right to recruit a Polish army from the Polish nationals residing in both the U.S. and Canada. Eventually, 28,000 joined the special First,. Second and Third Polish Infantry Regiments and the First Field Artillery Re-’ giment. At that time, Poland, divided by three other European countries, more than half a century before, did nothave a government of its own.Recruiting in western Massachusetts was from a large organization of Polish immigrants who met in Easthampton ; and trained as volunteers for the service. “We were something like the Boy Scouts,” Kozic said. He explained that the newly-recruited regiments trained at Fort Niagara, N.Y. •- and at Niagara-on-the-Lake, just over the border in Canada.Once we were trained, they didn’t waste any time sending us to France,” said Kozik. “We had special red and white Polish flags made for our regiments. Over there, we fought side-by-side with the American troops against Germany.”Backing for the Polish troops overseas came from the churches and Polish organizations, many of them in the county area. When the war ended, the Polish nationals went on to Poland, where, ironically, the war was not over for that country until 1920. The American recruited regiments helped General Josef Pilsudski stop the Russians at the gates of Warsaw.Once there was a final peace, because the new Americans had not been naturalized, it took some of them three years to return to America.“Very few wanted to stay back in Poland” said Kozik who had first come to the United States on May 30,1912, when he was 17 years old.“There were 77 of us who went from the Turners Falls-Greenfield vicinity, but only 26 of us returned, Kozik said in remembering. When their club was first formed in 1926, Stanley Solikowski, then of South Deerfield and now of Easthampton was commander, Kozik was vice-commander, the late Walenty Niedbala was second vice commander, Albert Wolichowski, formerly of Turners Falls, and now Texas, was financial secretary, and the late John Maziarz, was treasurer. Three other members still living are Peter Smith of South Deerfield, Walter Kostanski, Sr. of Millers Falls and Andrew Salisiewski of Greenfield.“Kostanski was onlv 17 when he went,” Kozik commented,m ’and then remarked,“Joe Zak of Turners Falls who died last month was one of us.”Despite the immense contribution from Polish soldiers, no provisions had been made for veterans’ benefits by either the Polish or American United States governments when the regiments were demobilized in 1920. Through such organizations as the Turners Falls Polish Veterans Club, pressure was brought to rectify this grave oversight for the 14,000 Polish-Americans who returned. Not until 1937 were the men extended the benefit of U.S. citizenship, plus veterans' benefits enjoyed by the native American citizens. Kozik is proud of his organization's part in this legislation.. “Wait a minute, I’ll show you something else,” and Kozik .went into the next room and brought out a painting by Korab-Mercere of “The Death of the Polish Legionairre”, showing a dying Polish soldier writing a patriotic message on a wall with his own blood. “And I have something else here,” a framed picture of that original Polish volunteer organization from Easthampton, including girl volunteers, many who became nurses.The Polish American Veterans’ Club probably will not meet today, but its remaining members still have their memories of a devoted and patriotic group.
Newspaper Details
Greenfield Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts, US
Fri, Nov 11, 1977
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
MA, USA 14 Mar 2020
Other Publications Near Greenfield, Massachusetts
Greenfield Recorder Gazette
Greenfield Recorder Gazette and Courier
Greenfield Recorder
Greenfield Daily Recorder
Greenfield Gazette and Courier
