Greetings all,
Here in Canada it's the Victoria Day long weekend commemorating Queen Victoria's birthday May 24th and the first long weekend of the warmer season ahead. True to form, out here on the west coast it was cloudy and cool with some rain. Such is the case this holiday Monday which has me inside in front of the computer rather than out on the new motorcycle as originally planned.
This weekend also sees a commemoration of the Battle of Monte Cassino at our "SPK" Polish Combatants Association hall. This year I was asked to participate by displaying some of my collection of Polish Armed Forces in the West items. The evening involved some brief speeches, and a viewing of the 1946 classic film Wielka Droga, ("The Great Way"), containing original wartime footage of the Polish 2nd Corps and its march from Poland through Siberia and the Middle East to Italy.
Some pics from the evening (click on them to magnify). The SPK building on Kingsway in Vancouver:
Speaker Krzysztof Olendzki, Consul General of Poland in Vancouver:
Some of the audience taking in the event:
Some snapshots of the display taken right after set up. The PSZ eagle display on the white card is a friend's contribution:
The highlight of the evening was spending some time with a veteran of the battle, Lt. Henryk Radziszewski, recipient of the Cross of Valour. 97 years young and going strong. Ever witty, and sharp as a tack. Sadly, he is one of the last survivors of that generation, and was the only veteran able to attend the event.
Finally, starting the load up for the trip home:
Cheers,
Tony
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