recent odc activities 2008 

Embassy Representative at Underground Army Book-signing

29 January 2008 

LTC Ray Wojcik, U.S. Embassy; General Stefan Bałuk, Chichociemni, Virtuti Militari; Captain Zdzisław "Żagiel" Pilatowicz, President, Klub Kawalerów, Virtuti Militari; Captain Jerzy "Magic" Bartnik, Vice President for Social Affairs, Association, Klub Kawalerów Virtuti Militari.

Lieutenant Colonel Ray Wojcik, Deputy Chief of the U.S. Embassy's Office of Defense Cooperation, participated in a book signing event at the Warsaw Uprising Museum on January 24, 2008.  General Bałuk is now 94 years old and one of a few remaining soldiers from an elite unit known as Chichociemni” (Silent-Warriors) and recently published his book, "I was a Silent Warrior."  Chichociemni was a secret WWII operation established in England, which trained Polish and other allied soldiers in special operations.  Polish soldiers from Chichociemni were parachuted into Poland and enabled the Allies to maintain contact and provide support to Underground Army units in Poland.  Cichociemni included rigorous training; of the 2,413 volunteers in the Polish group, only 316 completed training and were parachuted into Poland during the War.  Retired General Sławomir Petelicki, founder of GROM (Thunder), Poland's modern-day elite Special Forces, was in attendance at the event.  GROM traces its lineage and patronage to the brave and daring soldiers of Chichociemni.  Several other Polish WWII heroes were in attendance including Virtuti Military winners:  Captain Jerzy "Magic" Bartnik, VM; Mrs. Maria “Kama” Stypułkowska-Chojecka, VM; and Captain Zdzisław "Żagiel" Pilatowicz, VM.