When Marta Nawrocka arrived at the Armed Forces Day ceremony on Piłsudski Square, she did not pass by a wheelchair-bound veteran without stopping. It was a small gesture — yet full of meaning.
On Armed Forces Day, a ceremonial changing of the guard took place in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw. The event at Piłsudski Square was attended by, among others, President Karol Nawrocki with his wife, Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Head of the National Security Bureau Sławomir Cenckiewicz.
The First Lady of Poland, Marta Nawrocka, arrived at the ceremony shortly before her husband, who had a special role to play during the August 15 celebrations.
However, one moment certainly did not escape the attention of observant onlookers. As Mrs. Nawrocka walked past a group of soldiers and clergy, she suddenly approached a veteran seated in a wheelchair and greeted him. The veteran, visibly moved, kissed the First Lady’s hand. Respect for the heroes of our homeland is important — always and everywhere.
August 15 marks the anniversary of the victorious 1920 Battle of Warsaw. Poland’s triumph in this battle secured the country’s independence and halted the march of the Bolshevik revolution toward Western Europe. It also became one of the most important elements of historical memory in the Second Polish Republic.