Official Color Guard of the Polish American Congress World War One Centennial

The  Color Guard of the Polish Falcons of America Guard of the Cemetery of General Haller's Recruits, established at Camp Kosciuszko, the Historic Training Site of the Volunteers from America to General Haller's Polish "Blue Army" in France in WWI, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, has been designated the Official Color Guard of the Polish American Congress World War One Centennial in perpetuity to represent the ideals and heritage of all Polish Americans who served in the Great War at all events representing Polish Americans contributions to Victory in World War One and the Independence of Poland.

All individuals are invited to participate and join the color guard and take part in this living memorial to our great Polish Americans of World War One! Please contact stephenflor.pacwny@yahoo.com for more information

Polish Centennial Color Guard At the Polish Army Veterans' Soldiers' Day Ceremonies at the Shrine of America's Czestochowa, Doyelstown, PA.

Members Present Vladek Batko, Marszalek; Steve Flor, US Organizer; Kristy Bowman; Andrew Kawka, Canadian Organizer.

 Project 1 :

WORLD WAR I NATIONAL HONOR ROLL                                        POLISH AMERICANS KILLED IN ACTION

One hundred years ago, over 300,000 Polish Americans served in the Armed Forces of the United States.  It is suggested that the Great War claimed nearly 14,000 Polish American casualties. Although the Polish American population of 10 million in 1918 represented 4% of the US population, the valor of the Polish American soldier on the field of battle constituted 12% of those sacrificed.

To honor the memory of the men and women sacrificed from  our communities, this project calls for the creation of The National Honor Roll of Polish Americans Killed in World War I.

This project calls upon all Polish Americans to unite and create local honor rolls for each of their own communities to be dedicated appropriately and be included on the National Honor Roll. Participation is sought from every interested Polish American individual and organization to research and identify those to be forever remembered.

The project calls upon each Division of the Polish American Congress and National Organization to create a World War I Centennial Committee and establish a sub-committee entrusted with the objectives of this project

• The first step, research and verify if your community doesn’t already have a WWI Honor Roll. Many parishes and posts may already have such an honor roll that can be re-dedicated and entered into the national honor roll. It is the first step to give honor to those from the communities from which they came!
• Organize the subcommittee to include participation from local Polish American parishes, posts, nests, lodges and organizations to coordinate, research, work and develop the honor roll.
• Research, locate and identify the fallen utilizing information from county honor rolls, records, local individuals, descendants, group records, newspapers, etc., 
• Utilize assistance from the US WWI Centennial commission’s website.
• Locate descendants and invite recognition and participation.
• Organize and promote an honor roll (re)dedication ceremony. Register the event with the Commission’s official events calendar.
• Locate and identify local burial sites of the fallen and decorate and honor appropriately.
• Create and submit biographical information of the fallen for inclusion: Please use the tab: "Share and Submit a Story"  found on the left side menu bar under "Stories". 
  
  

Project 2 :

WORLD WAR I NATIONAL HONOR ROLL

VOLUNTEERS FROM AMERICA

GENERAL HALLER’S POLISH ARMY IN FRANCE

KILLED IN ACTION

One hundred years ago, 4 million Americans served, and 116,516 sacrificed their lives during World War I. Over 300,000 Polish Americans served in the Armed Forces of the United States.  It is suggested that the Great War claimed nearly 14,000 Polish American casualties. Additionally, over 24,000 men from across America volunteered and served in the Polish Army in France. Approximately 1,600 volunteers died in battle.

To honor the memory of the men and women sacrificed from our communities, this project calls for the creation of The National Honor Roll of Polish Americans who served in General Haller’s Army that were killed in action during World War I.

This project calls upon all Polish Americans to unite and create local honor rolls for each of their own communities to be dedicated appropriately and be included on the National Honor Roll. Participation is sought from every interested Polish American individual and organization to research and identify those to be forever remembered.

The project calls upon each Division of the Polish American Congress and National Organization to create a World War I Centennial Committee and establish a sub-committee entrusted with the objectives of this project

• The first step, research and verify if your community doesn’t already have a WWI Honor Roll. Many parishes and posts may already have such an honor roll that can be re-dedicated and entered into the national honor roll. It is the first step to give honor to those from the communities from which they came!
• Organize the subcommittee to include participation from local Polish American parishes, posts, nests, lodges and organizations to coordinate, research, work and develop the honor roll.
• Research, locate and identify the fallen utilizing information from county honor rolls, records, local individuals, descendents, group records, newspapers, etc., 
• Utilize assistance from the US WWI Centennial commission’s website.
• Locate descendants and invite recognition and participation.
• Organize and promote an honor roll (re)dedication ceremony. Register the event with the Commission’s official events calendar.
• Locate and identify local burial sites of the fallen and decorate and honor appropriately.
• Create and submit biographical information of the fallen for inclusion on the national commission’s web page : 
  Please use the tab: "Share and Submit a Story"  found on the left side menu bar under "Stories". 

Project 3 :

CEMETERY OF GENERAL HALLER’S RECRUITS’ GENEALOGICAL REUNIFICATION PROJECT

One hundred years ago, over 24,000 men from across America volunteered to leave their new homeland and serve in the Polish Army in France to regain Poland’s independence during WWI. The recruits trained under Canadian officers at “Camp Kosciuszko” in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, Canada. During their training, 41 recruits died from the Spanish Flue Epidemic, which had claimed over 6 million persons across the world. Of those men, 26 are interred in the Cemetery of General Haller’s Recruits at Saint Vincent de Paul’s Parish Cemetery. Scant records remain of these fallen soldiers from America.

To honor the memory of these unsung men sacrificed from amongst our communities, this project calls upon all of Polonia to unite. Participation is sought from every interested Polish American individual and organization.

1. The first step has been to identify the names and origins, and in some cases, where the recruit noted such on his enlistment papers, the organizational recruitment affiliation. The following map and list has been supplied through the generosity of committee member Paul S. Valasek, author of the invaluable research volume Haller’s Polish Army in France. The book is available by Email to: hallersarmy@aol.com
2. From Steven’s Point Wisconsin to Providence Rhode Island, from the Polish Falcons, Polish National Alliance and Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, this list shows the breadth of our Great Nation from where our honored responded!
3. This project now appeals to each division of the Polish American Congress, and national organization, to re-adopt your recruit.
4. The project requests that each division and organization establish a mechanism, a centennial committee, to recruit volunteers to locate and find the descendants of these men given from amongst your own. It is the first step to give honor to these men from the communities from which they came!
5. The project calls upon all Polish American organizations and media to promote and publicize this endeavor.
6. Once locating any descendants, it would be proper and fitting, to invite and present these family members at the cemetery to give the honor to these men on your organization’s and community’s behalf. This honor will be held at the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Opening of the Polish Army Training Camp (Camp Kosciuszko) on Sunday, June 11, 2017.
7. One Hundredth Anniversary of Camp Kosciuszko Commemorative Program Book.
8. In honor of each recruit buried in the cemetery, the project requests that each adoptive entity place a tribute to your son in the program book. A tribute page to each recruit would include:
9. • The name of the recruit, along with whatever historical information can be found, hopefully even a photo, enlistment, fraternal, county honor roll, or parish records.
   • The name and logo of the honoring entity, the Polish American Congress Division or national organization’s district geographically encompassing the recruit’s hometown.
   • The name of the descendant presenting the honor at the cemetery on the entities behalf.
10. In addition to the time and energy expended by organizations and volunteers, the project invites financial help to off set costs of publications, and for potential descendants and attendees who may not be able to totally self finance travel and attendance burdens.
11. Call for quick action. The centennial opening ceremony at the cemetery is quickly approaching. Time is of the essence, and hopefully the fruit of this initial project will manifest itself in many opportunities throughout the WWI Centennial. * Please use the tab: "Share and Submit a Story"  found on the left side menu bar under "Stories". 
12.