American Polonia Jointly Celebrates the "W" Hour

On August 1, 1944, at 5:00 PM, on the orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Army, General Tadeusz Komorowski “Bor,” the Warsaw Uprising began. On the anniversary of this largest military uprising in German-occupied Europe, New York’s Polish community gathered in front of the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union headquarters on McGuinness Blvd. to pay tribute to the heroes of the rising.

The ceremony of raising the insurgent flag, initiated by PSFCU a decade ago, has become a permanent fixture in the Polish-American calendar. For the next 63 days, the red and white banner with the symbol of Fighting Poland will fly over Greenpoint, commemorating
the courage, sacrifice, and steadfastness of the Warsaw insurgents.

Attendees included representatives of diplomac corps, the military, veterans, and Polish organizations. In attendance were, among others, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York Mateusz Sakowicz, Consul Przemysław Postolski, Commander Albert Proszowski – Senior Military Advisor at the Polish Permanent Mission to the UN, Anna Maria Anders – former Polish Ambassador to Italy and daughter of the legendary General Władysław Anders, journalist Rita Cosby – daughter of Warsaw Uprising insurgent Ryszard Kossobudzki, as well as representatives of the Polish Army Veterans Association, Scouts, Polish Bikers, the “Polonia” Children’s Choir, and representatives of senior clubs and Polish schools. Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union was represented by Krzysztof Matyszczyk, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Iwona Korga and Mariusz Śniarowski, members of the Board of Directors, and Leon Fuks, member of the Supervisory Committee.

Promptly at 11:00 a.m., the siren sounded, and the flag with the symbol of Fighting Poland was raised. The ceremony was preceded by a prayer led by Father Sławomir Szucki from St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Brooklyn. PSFCU President/CEO Bogdan Chmielewski then spoke, formally welcoming all the guests, reminding them that the initiative to raise the Uprising flag on the flagpole in front of our Credit Union’s headquarters began ten years ago and has since become one of the most important events in the Polish community’s calendar.

“It is our duty – of all Poles, both in Poland and around the world – to preserve our historical memory, to cherish our heroes. Because a nation without memory dies out,” he said. The CEO of Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union also emphasized that the memory of the Uprising should be shared not only in Polish homes, but also in conversations with our American neighbors and friends. “Let’s tell them why the anchor appears on the Polish flag. It’s a sign that we are a nation that has always valued freedom, democracy, and independence,” he noted. Krzysztof Matyszczyk, Chairman of the PSFCU Board of Directors, highlighted the role played by Polish supplementary schools in maintaining Polishness, where thousands of children learn language and history. “They are the very ones,” he said, “that guarantee that the memory of the Uprising and Polish identity will endure.”

Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Mateusz Sakowicz, emphasized the symbolism of the shared celebration of the anniversary in Poland and the United States – sirens in Warsaw and New York sounded at exactly the same moment. He mentioned memorial sites in the Polish capital – Krasiński Square, the Little Insurgent Monument, and the Wola Cemetery – and recalled that the ashes of nearly 200,000 civilians and insurgents rest there as silent witnesses to history. The Consul also emphasized the responsibility of younger generations and the importance of ensuring that the memory of the insurgents does not fade with the passing of the last witnesses. Next, the heroes’ daughters spoke: Anna Maria Anders, daughter of General Władysław Anders, and Rita Cosby, daughter of Warsaw Uprising insurgent Ryszard Kossobudzki. Both emphasized their pride in their fathers’ heritage, speaking about the significance of the insurgents’ courage and sacrifice, and the need to pass this memory on to the younger generation. Among the speakers that day were alo Helena Knapczyk, a Siberian exile, who recalled prayers for the insurgents during her stay in Africa, and Tadeusz Antoniak, commander of the PAVA in the United States. He recalled that the insurgents fought voluntarily, with Poland in their hearts, for a free and independent homeland, and their goal was to show the world who was the host of Warsaw. He also emphasized that for ten years, this ceremony has been the “zero hour” for Polish Americans and that it is the duty of younger generations to take responsibility for passing on this history.

The official part of the commemorationconcluded with a performance by the “Polonia” children’s choir, which performed songs from the uprising. Participants then proceeded to the mural at the Polish National Home, where candles were lit and flowers were laid.

Although 81 years have passed since the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, its spirit still unites Poles both at home and abroad. On that day, Greenpoint became a place where the past met the present, and the memory of the heroes of those events returned in the sound of a siren, the flutter of the white and red flag, and the collective singing of uprising songs.

Algonquin Remembers the Uprising
On August 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM Chicago time, the Polish community inIllinois gathered in front of the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union’s Algonquin branch to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising.

The ceremony began with the raising of the flag with the Anchor – the symbol of Fighting Poland – which occurred precisely at the symbolic “W Hour” according to local time. A moment of silence, the Polish national anthem,
and the sound of sirens united the participants with their compatriots in Warsaw, where the main commemorationsof the heroes of 1944 were taking place that day.

The guest of honor was Tadeusz Gubała, a participant of the Warsaw Uprising.Representatives of Polish organizations, PSFCU employees, Scouts, and the local community participated in the ceremony. Representing the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union were, among others, Board Member Bogdan Ogórek and Midwest Regional Manager Robert Radkowski.

As in New York, the Warsaw Uprising flag will fly over Algonquin for the next 63 days – the same length as the Uprising itself – reminding us of the courage, sacrifice, and steadfastness of those who fought for a free Poland.