It is our duty to cherish the memory of the Accursed Soldiers – says the Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak in his message on the occasion of the National Accursed Soldiers Remembrance Day. Their uneven fight, for which many of them paid with their lives, is a model of patriotism of the highest order,’ he adds.
As Błaszczak points out, this year PLN 1.5 million will be allocated for initiatives commemorating cursed soldiers and for assistance for the still-living veterans of the Polish independence underground.
‘On March 1, we celebrate the National Accursed Soldiers Remembrance Day. This special holiday was established in 2010 by the late prof. Lech Kaczyński, President of Poland. Thanks to this valuable initiative, every year we bring back the memory of heroes without whose determination, steadfast will and devotion there would be no sovereign, truly free and independent Poland today,’ says the Minister of National Defense in an online message prepared on the occasion of the National Accursed Soldiers Remembrance Day.
Minister Blaszczak adds that their ‘unequal, heroic struggle, for which many of them paid with their lives, is for us, their heirs, a model of patriotism of the highest order’.
The Minister of National Defense points out that it is our duty to nurture the memory of the members of the underground movement, to spread the knowledge about the importance of their heroic deeds and to take care of the still undiscovered burial sites.
‘Soldiers of the Polish Army have been involved from the very beginning in the process of restoring the place of indomitable soldiers in Polish history,’ reminds Błaszczak.
He points out that many military units chose, as their patrons, the soldiers of the anti-communist underground, who were cursed at that time.
‘Let’s remember our heroes! They deserve our memory and our gratitude. Glory to the heroes!’ – emphasizes the Head of the Ministry of Defense.
National Accursed Soldiers Remembrance Day is celebrated annually on March 1 since 2011. It was established as a national holiday, dedicated to the soldiers of the armed anti-communist underground. This date was chosen to commemorate the fact that on March 1, 1951, in the Mokotów prison on Rakowiecka Street the communists murdered the leaders of the 4th Board of Freedom and Independence Association – Łukasz Ciepliński and his comrades. They formed the last leadership of the last all-Polish conspiracy continuing the work of the Home Army since 1945.