Poland in US

On August 31, the Polish Defense Attaché’s Office in Washington, D.C. organized a reception commemorating the Polish Armed Forces Day. The event took place at Ambassador Marek Magierowski’s residence. State Department representatives and other members of the D.C. diplomatic community were also present at the reception, alongside the Polish Embassy personnel. The guest list included, inter alia, col. Romuald Lipiński, a Polish World War II veteran who fought at the Battle of Monte Casino, as well as the U.S. Lieutenant General Walter E. Piatt, currently serving as the Director of the Army Staff.

The ambassador started the event by giving a speech in which he honored sergeant Michael H. Ollis, who died a hero’s death in Afghanistan as he shielded a Polish officer from a suicide bomber’s attack with his own body. Mr. Magierowski’s speech was followed by a few words from the Polish Defense Attaché, Brigadier General Krzysztof Nolbert. The importance of the Polish Armed Forces in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine was a recurrent topic throughout the event. In a brief interview given during the reception, Lieutenant General Walter E. Piatt praised the Polish army and its competences, claiming that “as long as we have the Polish Armed Forces, Europe will never be lost.”