Standing on board the ORP Gen. Pulaski, Amb. Victor Ashe thanked the Polish Navy for its participation and support in the fight against terrorism, praising the Navy's service in Coalition operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"Poland's answer to the call to arms is well known and admired by those who understand that peace and liberty have to be defended at times. We are confident history will show Poland took the right stand when duty called," said Amb. Ashe during his September 27 visit off the coast of Gdynia.
Amb. Ashe was hosted by the Fleet Admiral (Commander in Chief) of the Polish Navy, Roman Krzyzelewski. The Gen. Pulaski is a Perry class frigate that Poland obtained from the U.S. Navy when the ship sailed under the name "USS Clark."
Calling Poland's fleet "a model for those who seek to transform their navies to meet the challenges of the century ahead of us," Amb. Ashe noted how, for example, the Admiral Czernicki spent more than a year in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, supplying Allied forces in Afghanistan and escorting convoys with humanitarian aid for Iraq.
Prior to that, the Czernicki carried out an important mission as part of the Multinational Interdiction Force upholding the United Nations' embargo on Saddam Hussein.
Relations between the U.S. and Polish Navies are strong. Two warships -- the Gen. Pulaski and Gen. Kosciusko -- were once part of the U.S. Navy and now sail in Poland's Navy. Seasprite helicopters, used by the U.S. Navy for anti-submarine warfare and search-and-rescue operations, now form part of Poland's naval aviation fleet.
In addition, officers from the Polish Navy are studying in U.S. universities and colleges. American and Polish midshipmen from the Naval Academies are training and pulling duty on each other's ships.
On board the Gen. Pulaski, the Ambassador was given a presentation on Polish Navy strategic planning. He toured the warship, where he observed the crew navigating the Baltic Sea from the bridge. He saw the Combat and Control spaces, and got a first-hand look at sailors operating the radar and weapons systems.
After his visit, Amb. Ashe returned to Gdynia, where he visited a small memorial erected by the people of Gdynia, commemorating the first anniversary of September 11.
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