Just got done reading This Day in History WWII and thought this was worth copying here. Interesting tidbits that you don't run across every day. Being half Polish, it certainly caught my attention.

July 4

1943 Polish general fighting for justice dies tragically

On this day in 1943, Polish General Wladyslaw Sikorski dies when his plane crashes less than a mile from its takeoff point at Gibraltar. Controversy remains over whether it was an accident or an assassination.

Born May 20, 1888, in Austrian Poland (that part of Poland co-opted by the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Sikorski served in the Austrian army. He went on to serve in the Polish Legion, attached to the Austrian army, during World War I, and fought in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920-21. He became prime minister of Poland for a brief period (1922-23).

When Germany invaded and occupied Poland in 1939, Sikorski became leader of a Polish government-in-exile in Paris. He developed a good working relationship with the Allies-until April 1943, when Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin broke off Polish-Soviet diplomatic relations after Sikorski requested that the Red Cross investigate the alleged Soviet slaughter of Polish officers in the Katyn forest of eastern Poland in 1942.

After Germany and the USSR divided up Poland in 1939, thousands of Polish military personnel were sent to prison camps by the Soviets. When Germany invaded Russia in 1941, Stalin created a pact with the Polish government-in-exile to cooperate in the battle against the Axis. Given the new relationship, the Poles requested the return of the imprisoned military men, but the Soviets claimed they had escaped and could not be found. But when Germany overran eastern Poland, the part that had previously been under Soviet control, mass graves in the Katyn forest were discovered, containing the corpses of over 4,000 Polish officers, all shot in the back. The Soviets, apparently, had massacred them. But despite the evidence, the Soviet government insisted it was the Germans who were responsible.

Once news of the massacre spread, a formal Declaration of War Crimes was signed in London on January 13, 1943. Among the signatories was General Sikorski and General Charles de Gaulle. But Sikorksi did not want to wait until after the war for the punishment of those responsible for the Katyn massacre. He wanted the International Red Cross to investigate immediately.

It is believed that Britain considered this request a threat to Allied solidarity and some believe that in order to silence Sikorski on this issue, the British went so far as to shoot down his plane. There is no solid evidence of this.

After the war, the communist Polish government officially accepted the Soviet line regarding the mass graves. It was not until 1992 that the Russian government released documents proving that the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, had been responsible for the Katyn slaughter-backed up by the old Soviet Politburo.

The Commanding Officer of the 63rd Fighter Squadron Luke AFB deserves a

big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke

AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed

his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke

AFB officer, it must have stung quite a bit. Probably NOT!

The complaint:

"Question of the Day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the

morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M., a tight formation

of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over

Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom

Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to

impress the cashiers at Mervyns' early-bird special? Any response would be

appreciated."

The response:

Regarding "A wake-up call from Luke's jets" (Letters, Thursday): On June

15, at precisely 9:12 A.M., a perfectly timed four-ship flyby of F-16s from

the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of

Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt. Fresques was an Air Force officer who was

previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May

30, Memorial Day. At 9 A.M. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at

Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and

friend.

Based on the letter writer's recount of the flyby, and because of the jet

noise,I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my

words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's

flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans

and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.

A four-ship flyby is a display of respect the Air Force pays to those who give

their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our

jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four

officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer

asks, "Whom do we thank for the morning air show?" The 56th Fighter Wing will call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of

Capt. Fresques, and thank them for you , for it was in their honor that my

pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives.

Lt. Col. Scott Pleus

CO 63rd Fighter Squadron

Luke Air Force Base, Arizona

Jim Hennessey sent this to me. Recognize any names?

http://www.ww2online.nl/vets.htm

Declaration of Independence

When members of the US Second Continental Congress approved

the remarkable document known as the Declaration of Independence,

they plainly declared their belief in God. The drafters of this noble proclamation knew that the sweeping freedoms they were proposing could work well only in a society where the Creator is acknowledged. They affirmed that God has “endowed “ all people with the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†because

He values each of us.

Thomas Jefferson, who would become the third president of the new nation, was distressed by the sin he saw. He wrote , “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.†If he trembled then, he would have a violent seizure now!

The founding fathers of the US loved the concept of individual freedom, but they did not have in mind a permissive lifestyle that allows us to do anything we please. True freedom can never be enjoyed by people who refuse to fear God.

The palmist said “ Know that the Lord, He is God: it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves “. We are responsible to God, because He has created us in love.

(From Our Daily Bread)

I just received this as an email. You neve know if these are true but the photo and related site suggests this did happen as described.

A Simple Thank You

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

No, he responded.

Heading out I asked?

No. I'm escorting a soldier home.

Going to pick him up?

No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq. I'm taking him home to his family.

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do.

signed: Stuart Margel -- Washington, D.C.

Photo of 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arriving at the Reno Airport.

Images from Pictures of the Year Intl site: http://www.poyi.org

First place photo contributed by Todd Heisler of The Rocky Mountain News.