St Marys High School - Salute Yearbook (New Baltimore, MI)

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It. B. Godlewski Pvlialc n the Kettle ?rvnt Americans of Polish origin have splendidly upheld the tradition of hoth the Polish and American peo- ple. Their record on the field of battle is a brilliant chapter of American history , wrote Thomas E. Dewey, Governor of New York in l945. This record goes back beyond De- cember 7, 1941, to an earlier day of infamy , September l, 1939, when Hitler's legions blitzkrieged their way into Poland. Among the Polish Americans who flocked to the col- ors the best known is Lieutena it Hronislav Godlewski of Chicagn. Only 17, he was rejected by the American army, but managed to join the Polish Air Force. Today. armless, Godlewski is one of the few men wearing three national decorations for bravery - Polish. British and American. Miecislaus Haiman. leading Pol- ish-American historian, estimates that about one millon Americans of Polish descent served in the Amer- ican armed forces. Five attained the rank of general: Joseph E, Ba- rzynski, West Point graduate and Dean of Polish-American service- men: John Rataj, John Wisniewski. Matyka and Krygier. The Marine Corps was liberally sprinkled with Andrzejewskis, Karasiewiczs and Modzelewskis. The Army and Navy had their share of skis and wiczs. And so did the WACS. SPARS and WAVES. In every theatre of War crosses mark the graves of Polish-American boys. In Pearl Harbor lies Pfc. Rob- ert Niedzwiecki of Grand Rapids. one ot' the war's first fatalities. On Brig. Gen. J. Barzynski Lt. Col. F. Gabreski The Sadowskis Guadalcanal rests Marine Corp. Stanley Narkon of Long Island. In a. German cemetery next to Gen. George S. Patton lies Detroit-born Pfc. John Przywara. In the mid- Pacific sleeps Sgt. Alexander T. Kaezmarczyk of Torrington, Conn.. who 'died on the twelfth night of Capt. Rickenbacker's famous adven- ture. Ever aggressive, Polish Americans led in the attack. The first Amer- ican soldier to step on Sicily was Sgt. Joseph Parylak: the first to land at Anzio was Pvt. Walter P. Krzysztofiak ot' Summit, ll'.: the first American chaplain to set foot on French and German soil vias Capt. Venantius Szymanski of De- troit. The first American woman to land on Munda and New Georga was Army Nurse Second Lt. Dorothy P. Shikoski from Green Lake, Wis.. Lt. George Klimowicz of Stevens Point, Wis.. was one of three Amer- ican officers who first entered Ger- man territory in August, 1944. Outstanding deeds of valor and sacrifice also speak eloquently for Polish Americans. Lt. Col. Francis S. Gabreski of Oil City, Pa., shot down 31 German planes to become one of America's flying aces. It was a Polish American, Sgt. Alexander A. Drabik of Holland. Ohio, who seized the Remagen bridge in a surprise move and opened wide the way for the conquering Americans into Germany. Sgt. Joseph Sadow- ski of Perth Amboy, N. J., gave his life for his buddies and won the Nation's highest award, the Con- gressional Medal of Honor, which was awarded posthumously to his parents. AQPFIIHPIIM E4'11:1'111't'L Sgt. A. Kaczmarezyk

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leader Tvdaq Self-made men and women who came up the hard way, the present leaders and spokesmen of the Polo- nia speak and act with the confi- dence that comes from the convic- tion, born of splendid achievement. that they have a valuable heritage to maintain and a rich contribution to make to their American home- land. Champion of Polish-American co- operation is aggressive Charles Roz- marek, chairman of the Polish- American Congress. A former presi- dent of the Polish National Al- liance, the largest Polonian organi- zation, he now heads the most in- fluential and vocal body in Polish American circles. Auxiliary to Cardinal Mooney and presiding judge of the archdiocesan matrimonial court in Detroit, self- effacing Pennsylvania-born Bishop Stephen Woinicki holds the spir- itual leaidership vacated by the late patriarchal Bishop Rhode. As chair- man of numerous crganizations and treasurer of The Polish Relief Fund, he directs the several million dollar relief action of Polonian federated groups. White-haired, lanky Chicagoan, John Joseph Olejniczak since 1941 heads the Polish Roman Catholic Union, the oldest and second largest Polish-American federated society, which sponsors and supports the Archives and Museum in Chicago and annually assists the educational institutions at Orchard Lake, Mich. Educator and relief-worker, so- cially-minded Honorata Wolowska is president of the Polish Women's Alliance of America and board member of nearly every important centralized committee in the Polo- nia. Quiet, soft-spoken Bishop Stani- slav Bona of Green Bay, born and educated in Chicago and in Rome, was professor of languages and editor of a Polish weekly before his consecration to the episcopate in 1932. His tact and diplomacy were largely responsible for the success of the first convention held in Buffalo in 1943 by the Polish-American Congress. Trim, precise Francis X. Swietlrk. dean of Marquette Law School, is president of the Polish-American Council founded in 1939. Though remaining largely in the back- ground, he nevertheless wields a real influence among Polish Amer- icans. Of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania background, head of the seminary, college and high school at Orchard Lake, the oldest Polonian institu- tions of higher learning, Rt. Rev. Msgr. Edward Szumal occupies 2 position of tremendous trust not only for the present but also for the future of the Polonia. Foremost Polish-American orator. Congressman Alvin O'Konski cf Wisconsin, former university profes- sor, is today the most outspoken exponent of Polonian views on cur- rent political affairs. From the steerage to a university professorship in 11 years-that is the story of Stephen Mierzwa QMizwaJ, a peasant boy who once taught economics at Drake and now heads the Kosciuszko Foundation which he organized for intercultural exchange between Poland and America. Last but by no means least is retiring, scholarly Miecislav Hai- man, leading Polish-American his- torian, co-founder and guiding gen- ius of the P.R.C.U. Archives and Museum, the greatest storehouse and repository of Polish and Polo- nian achievements, records and rei- ics in the Western Hemisphere. Congressman John Dingell and John Lesinski, board member of the Federal Reserve System Miecislav Szymczak, Federal Judge Arthur Koscinski and radio orator Fr. Jus- tin Figas, 0. F. M. C. are also in- fluential Polish Americans. , I n I arzan . olafrzlnff Bishop Bona Bishop Woznicki C. Rozmarek M. Haiman 9 sf' ab., 4' .JSP ,. V . J. Olejniczak J' ' xx ? , . . .-:fir --- A. O'Konski S. Mierzwa Msgr. Szumal F. Swietlik H. Wolowska

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14me1-icanA The number of ways in which Polish-American civilians have contributed to the war effort is as numerous and varied as the battle- fields on which Polish-American soldiers have fought. Take war bond purchases as a start. In the Fourth War Loan Drive in Chicago, the Polish Amer- icans led all other purchasers with over S14 million. They were first also in the Fifth Drive with more than S20 million. Up to September, 1944, the Polish National Alliance had S14 million in bonds: the Pol- ish Roman Catholic Union's pur- chases amounted nearly to S9 mil- lion. Perhaps the outstanding indivi- dual effort in this connection was that of Mrs. Francis P. Tarnapo- wicz of Pittsburgh, chairman of the 4th Area Nationality Group Divi- sion, who was responsible for the sale of nearly 270 million dollars in bonds among 101 national groups in Pennsylvania. The parish was the outlet for the many local activities-service- men's clubs, package sending com- mittees, letter-writing groups, and bulletin distributors. Women of the parish formed knitting circles that supplied servicemen with woolens: they prepared and rolled bandages. and served as Red Cross aids. Young Ladies' Sodalities sponsored par- ties for servicemen or took part in special devotions and prayers for the men and women at the front. Not all Polish-American mothers could boast like Mrs. Rose Radzi- minska, California's Number one War Mother , or like Chicago's Mrs. n the Home ?l'0hf um' , nb '. ' J- .:-:E .2 I- I -I - 1 .g ,,.. I I ..,.,,..:. .Z A ,., . c Mother of Five Servicemen Praying for his return Knitting Circle Frances Dyke. of having eleven sons in service. But instances like the following in Reading, Pa., were ccm- mon throughout the Polonia: Mrs. B. Debkowska, six sons in serviceg Mrs. B. Morawska, five: Mrs. Dykta, Gardecka, Kupiszewska, Lapinska, Naboina, and Waszkiewicz. four each. Mrs. M. Kujawa of St. Cloud. Minn., pictured at left is the mother of five servicemen. Even school children and high school youngsters helped by collect- ing scrap and paper. They bought war stamps and bonds themselves. and at the same time promoted their sale in the neighborhood. They enthusiastically took first-aid courses to be ready for any emer- gency, and they cheerfully worked in the family Victory gardens. Typi- cal of their youthful zeal was the slogan of the pupils of Swget st Heart of Mary School in Detroit: Hearts works for TANKS not for THANKS! In addition, besides generously supporting the Red Cross, the Cath- olic Bishops' Relief, the USO and the CSO, Polish Americans organ- ized their own special committees to alleviate the sufferings of Polish refugees and war victims. Most pro- minent of these were: Amzrican Relief for Poland. The Catholic League, and The Polish-American Congress Relief. In appreciation of these activi- ties, the late Pres. F. D. Roosevelt wrote in May, 1944: All of us are proud of . . . the unsparing effort of this group of Americans in our war effort . . . Zzwvzzzrzftyz 11111111114 4 fb . . First Aid Course Q T Victory Garden