I can say remember the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. Yet I ask myself, why don’t more people know about the Warsaw Uprising that began on August 1, 1944 and lasted for 63 days. Nearly 200,000 Poles were killed. Like most Americans without a Polish connection or proximity to a strong Polish community, I had never heard of or read about the Warsaw Uprising before meeting Henry Zguda and studying Poland. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 yes, but not the Polish Warsaw Uprising that came a year later. I have several theories that may explain.
Consider Finding Good Homes for Your Books and Spreading Literacy
Consider finding good homes for your books and spreading literacy when you need to clear your bookshelves. Reach those who need it most. Books are my friends and there are certain ones I will never give up, especially signed originals. However, as I have no willpower in bookstores, or online retailers, the flow of incoming books can exceed the space on my bookshelves (and stacks on the floor.) I eventually need to find good homes for those books I have read and can pass along. I think it’s good karma to share the gift of reading and great stories. Here are a few ideas for new homes for gently-used books. If you don’t wish to donate books, please consider contributing financially to support the gift of literacy.
Memorial Day Honors our Fallen Soldiers
Memorial Day Honors our Fallen Soldiers. I’m happy to say I have no relatives who will be honored on Memorial Day. Why? Because the holiday is to honor fallen soldiers. All of my family members who serve(d) in the military survived their service unscathed. Yet, in the broader sense of family, I believe that holidays like Memorial Day should unite us in some way as we pay homage and remembrance to those who gave their all. Continue reading
Polish Women as Forced Laborers in Nazi Germany
Polish women sent as forced labor to Nazi Germany during World War II is an under-reported war crime inflicted against Polish civilians by Germany. Germans considered Poles to be untermenschen or subhuman, only suitable for slave labor to the superior German race. Until I encountered the book Wearing the Letter P: Polish Women as Forced Laborers in Nazi Germany, 1939-1945 by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab (Hippocrene Books 2016) I had no idea of this facet of World War II. An estimated 1.7 million civilians were forced into slave labor and sent to Germany, the majority of them young women. Continue reading