In the Dąbrowa Forest close Łódź more than 3,000 oaks were planted in tribute to soldiers who died on missions. "Every oak will tell future generations the past of valor, the dedication to the service of the Homeland," wrote Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish in a letter to the participants of the ceremony.
Since 1953, erstwhile the first Polish military began to service abroad, 124 missionaries did not return home. In order to guarantee that this sacrifice is never forgotten, 3,000 trees were planted in the Dąbrowa Forest close Łódź today, which will form the Forest of Memory. It is an initiative of the Centre for Veteran Activities outside the State Borders, implemented thanks to the assistance of the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Łódź, which is to pay tribute to soldiers who died and died on abroad missions. The plans of the Veteran Center besides include a stone memorial in the Forest and military name plates that did not return from the missionary station.
"The Forest of Memory is not only a place of reflection, it is simply a space of patriotic education where future generations will learn the actual price of freedom and peace. It is simply a bridge connecting the past with the future reminding of the values that specify us as a nation," wrote Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in a letter read present by Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State in the MON. The head of the Ministry of Defence recalled that Polish soldiers have been engaged in missions abroad continuously since 1953. Since then, 130 000 of our citizens have served in more than 90 operations worldwide. "Their service has made Poland a respected and reliable partner in the global safety system", the Deputy Prime Minister stressed.
He besides mentioned revised Veterans Actwhich provided compensation to injured soldiers and medical, intellectual and social support. "It is our work to those who did not hesitate to stand up for peace, both for ours and for the peoples of distant regions of the world," said the head of the MON.
Every tree tells a story
The Forest of Memory is not just a symbol. It's a place where all tree tells a communicative of courage, sacrifice and service. It is simply a surviving memorial to the memory of our colleagues who gave their lives, serving Poland outside its borders. We want them to be remembered – not only in the hearts of loved ones, but besides in the scenery of our homeland – emphasizes Colonel Dr. Katarzyna Rałędowska, manager of the Veteran Centre for Activities outside the State Borders.
The families of the fallen soldiers are pleased with another initiative that will sustain the memory of their sons and husbands. “The oaks are long-standing trees, they will proceed to grow erstwhile we are no longer there and remind us of our fallen sons,” says Zofia Janik, parent of St. Chor. fresh Year’s Day Janik, a soldier who died in 2013 as a consequence of wounds sustained during the defence of Ghazni’s military base in Afghanistan. “I hope that there will be an educational path, and people who visit this place will come to their senses and think about the sacrifice our sons have made.”
– After our sons there will be a souvenir, descendants will know where and why they died – adds Aleksandra Kurowska, parent of Lt. Łukasz Kurowski, the first Polish soldier to die on a mission in Afghanistan in 2007.
During the ceremony there was besides the digging of a time capsule, which is not only a symbolic commemoration of planting oak seedlings, but besides a message for future generations. It included the NATO ISAF medal, the UN peacekeeper recognition card, the Veteran Center coin, the veterans' 2nd bicycle rally medal, the 4th edition of the “Veterinary Challenge”, a set of postcards with photos from abroad missions of the Polish Army and the current edition of “Polish Armed Forces”.
The Forest of Memory is located in the Dąbrowa Forest in Pawlikowice / Róża, Dłutów municipality, Pabianicki district.
