Distinction for Henryk Pawelec

Maria Zawadzka, 16 November 2016
On September 16th, 2010 the President of the Republic of Poland Bronisław Komorowski honored Henryk Pawelec, a member of the Jan Karski Association, with the Officer’s Cross Polonia Restituta. The distinction was awarded for his merits for the independence of Poland – his participation in the Defensive War of 1939. The ceremony took place in the Presidential Palace and was part of the Veteran Day.

The President emphasized the fact that every distinction hides a human story, he also said that it is a form of commemoration and of expressing gratitude by the whole country. Henryk Pawelec was assigned special tasks in the kielecko-radomski district of the Polish Home Army (AK). He was one of the founders, and afterwards also the leader of the cavalry reconnaissance of the “Wybranieccy” partisan troop of the Home Army. He participated in the “Burza” (“Tempest”) Operation and was head of the cavalry reconnaissance of the 4th Infantry Regiment of the Home Army Legions. Afterwards, he commanded the troops of the “Nie” and “WiN” units. In October 1945 he joined the 2nd Corps of General Anders. In 1946, together with the Corps, he reached England.

Henryk Pawelecis a member of the Jan Karski Association. This organization, whose patron is Jan Karski – legendary courier of the Polish underground during the Second World War and Righteous Among the Nations – was founded in 2005 as a continuation of the Citizen Association “Memory – Dialogue – Reconciliation”. Its main goal is to promote openness and tolerance for “groups of different racial, ethnic, national, religious or cultural identification”. The Association works for the development of the Polish-Jewish dialogue, tries to prevent all forms of racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia and to commemorate the tragic events of the Second World War and of the extermination of Jews in Poland. Among the initiatives of the Association should be mentioned, apart from the organization of the anniversaries of the Kielce pogrom, the funding of the Jan Karski and Menora monuments. More about its activity on the Jan Karski Association's website.