Posted on 04/20/2010 12:55:25 PM PDT by lizol
Poles draw strength from tragic past
By Oana Lungescu BBC News, Warsaw
Although in mourning for the loss of life in the Russian air disaster, young Poles are philosophical about Poland's ability to pull through this crisis.
It was late in the evening, but in a scruffy building in south-west Warsaw, groups of young people - some holding babies - were huddled in urgent meetings.
Polish scouts from the local district organisation were preparing for another day of national mourning. I had noticed them since the weekend of the fatal crash.
In their distinctive green uniforms, they stood guard outside the presidential palace, respectfully arranging the mounds of red and white flowers - the Polish national colours - and making sure no-one stepped into the sea of burning candles as they wiped away the tears.
Pinned to a notice-board were the black-and-white pictures of two handsome young men from a previous generation of Warsaw scouts.
One had been tortured by the Gestapo for being part of the Polish resistance against German occupation during World War II.
The other was shot in Katyn forest 70 years ago, one of the estimated 22,000 Poles - military officers, doctors, teachers and priests - killed by the Soviet secret police in a systematic massacre meant to ensure that Poland would never again rise as an independent nation.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
.........Wonderful review in Photos...TKS...
By the way, I can read Polish letters like "Ł" and "ó" n your post. I wonder if this is can be read clear and correctly by English speaking Freepers too, or perhaps this is because of my Polish operating system.
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