NATO soldiers stationed in Poland, as part of the "Harbinger" program, paid tribute to the heroes who died during World War II and were buried at the Oksywie military cemetery in Gdynia. They laid flowers and lit candles at the Navy Memorial Quarter, also known as the "Navy Pantheon".
NATO soldiers at the cemetery in Oksywie, photo: IR3N
Particular attention was paid to the plaque dedicated to Admiral Józef Unrug, who was the Fleet Commander from 1925 to 1939 and commanded the Coastal Defense during the September Campaign. On September 21, 2018, he was posthumously appointed to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. His will was to rest on his native land, but only "when Poland is truly free and just" and only "when the remains of three commanders murdered by the security services - Stanisław Mieszkowski, Jerzy Staniewicz and Zbigniew Przybyszewski - are found with a decent burial.
Soldiers from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization had the opportunity to listen to an organ concert in the Oliwa Cathedral. They were also at the Sopot pier. Americans, British, Croatians and Romanians repeated in one voice that they were amazed and delighted with Polish Heroes, both those who fought at Westerplatte and those buried in the cemetery in Gdynia.
These wonderful lessons in the history of our country would not have been possible without the help of the Polish National Foundation, which transferred the project to the Vilnius Center for Culture and Spirituality, the Institute of the Heritage of the Republic of Three Nations, for further management. Father Marek Dettlaff - a Franciscan from Vilnius and the Center's Director Regina Karpowicz were present at Westerplatte and the Gdynia cemetery. They both emphasized that it is good that "Harbinger" is still being run, because it is important for the allies of Poland and Lithuania to know the history of the fight for the freedom of our nations.
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