On March 1st, the anniversary of the execution of the leaders of the Fourth Main Board of the “Freedom and Independence” Association, Poland observes the National Day of Remembrance for the Cursed Soldiers. President Andrzej Duda participated in Saturday’s commemorations at “Łączka” in the Military Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.
During his speech, he recalled that the Soviets sought to erase the memory of the steadfast soldiers who fought for a free, sovereign, and independent Poland.
“They overcame and defeated one occupation—the Nazi occupation—but in its wake came another, in effect, the Soviet occupation. It was more cunning because, beyond merely seizing Poland and stationing its forces here against the nation’s will, it also imposed a Soviet-installed government—Soviet-Poles who, in reality, were traitors to the homeland, ready to subordinate our country to a foreign power and serve its interests, against the will of the majority of the nation,”
he emphasized.
He noted that, fortunately, the memory of these heroes endured within their families despite persecution and was passed down to future generations.
“Those generations, especially their children’s generation, also knew how to fight. They fought in a different way, but they won. They won by believing that removing these Soviet-appointed governors, reclaiming Poland, and making it truly free and sovereign once again was what the Polish nation desired,”
he added.
The President expressed his gratitude to all those who fought to preserve the memory of these heroes and to those who honour them today. However, he stressed that the struggle for a free Poland continues.
“Do not think, my dear friends, that the remnants and emissaries of those who once oppressed us are no longer present. Do not think that the successors of those against whom Łukasz Ciepliński, his comrades-in-arms, and the Steadfast Soldiers fought—those who sacrificed for a free Poland—are no longer among us. Do not think that there are no longer individuals who serve as proxies for those who find the existence of a free, sovereign, and independent Poland inconvenient—who wish to rule over this land, to lay their filthy hands upon it, to exploit its resources, and to drain the blood of our nation, just as has happened many times in our history,”
he emphasized.
“Do not think that this is not the case, and do not think that when major investments in Poland are halted, it is merely coincidental. Do not think that when someone delays the construction of the LNG terminal in Świnoujście, taking eight years to complete a project that could have been finished in two, it is by accident. Do not think that when crucial investments are obstructed—investments necessary to facilitate the transfer of allied troops from the United States and Western Europe to Poland in the event of an attack—it is a coincidence. It is never a coincidence,”
he underscored.