Uprising Flag Flies Over PSFCU

On August 1, the Polish & Slavic Federal Credit Union once again paid tribute to the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising by organizing ceremonies to raise the uprising flag at its headquarters at 100 McGuinness Blvd. in Greenpoint, New York, and at the PSFCU branch in Algonquin, Illinois. The events took place on August 1, on the 82nd anniversary of the outbreak of the Uprising, commemorating one of the most important and heroic chapters in Polish history.

The Greenpoint ceremony began at 11:00 a.m. local time - 5:00 p.m. Polish time - at the symbolic “W” hour. Sirens wailed, and participants paid tribute to the insurgents with a minute of silence, followed by the ceremonial raising of the white-and-red flag bearing the symbol of Fighting Poland. The honorary flag-raising was performed by Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Poland to the United Nations, and Malgorzata Gradzki, Chairwoman of the PSFCU Board of Directors. The flag will fly over the PSFCU headquarters for 63 days, commemorating the duration of the heroic struggle of Warsaw’s residents for their homeland’s freedom.

Among the invited guests were also Mateusz Sakowicz, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York; Przemysław Postolski, Vice Consul of the Republic of Poland; and Tadeusz Antoniak, Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army Veterans Association in America. Father Grzegorz Markulak from the Parish of St. Stanislaus Kostka offered a blessing. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of Polish community organizations, Boy Scouts, veterans, representatives of PSFCU Board of Directors, employees and members, as well as a large gathering of local residents.

The solemn nature of the event was underscored by a performance by the Polonia Choir, which sang songs from the Uprising, lending the ceremony a unique atmosphere and serving as a reminder of the spirit of unity and remembrance that has long accompanied the Warsaw Uprising anniversary celebrations.

A parallel ceremony took place in front of the PSFCU branch in Algonquin, Illinois, where the Chicago Polish community honored the memory of the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising. In addition to PSFCU representatives, the ceremony was also attended by Agata Grochowska, Vice Consul of the Republic of Poland in Chicago. Representatives of numerous Polish-American organizations were also among those present.

The annual ceremonies organized by PSFCU have long been an important part of the commemoration of the anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising in the United States. They are not only an expression of respect for the heroes of 1944 but also a testament to the commitment to preserving national memory and passing on our history to future generations of Polish-Americans.

Joint commemorations on the East Coast and in the Midwest have once again shown that the memory of the Warsaw Uprising remains alive even thousands of miles from Poland. For the nearly 130,000 members of our Credit Union, the values for which the insurgents fought - freedom, solidarity, and love for the homeland - remain an unwaveringly important part of Polish heritage and identity.