Camp Kosciuszko Anniversary
Part of WWI
Centennial Celebrations
CANADA – The 100th Anniversary of the Opening of Camp Kosciuszko, the Training Camp and Cemetery of General Haller’s Recruits in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, Canada, scheduled for June 11, 2017, is designated as the first official Polish American event of the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first volunteers to the Kosciuszko Military Camp. Steve Flor, PAC National Director representing the Polish Falcons of America, introduced both a resolution, and a motion, unanimously approved by the Polish American Congress Council of National Directors of the Polish American Congress held in Chicago, Sept. 15-17, 2016, a resolution to encourage all Polish Americans across the United States “to commemorate appropriately” the World War One Centennial, and motion resolved to establish the Polish American Congress World War One Centennial Committee. Appointed by PAC National President Frank Spula, Flor is acting national chairman. Committee volunteers currently include eminent historian Dr. James Pula, Dr. Paul Valasek, author of Haller’s Polish Army in France, Dr. Mark Pienkos, PAC VP, and Marcin Chumiecki, Orchard Lake Polish Mission. Locally, the Polish American Congress, Western New York Division Inc., and Canadian Polish Congress have annually sponsored a pilgrimage to the cemetery at Niagara-On-The-Lake. Activities for this year’s pilgrimage will begin at 12:15 p.m. on June 11, with a military inspection of the veterans’ organizations. Then a Catholic Mass will be celebrated at the cemetery chapel. Following the Mass, a parade will proceed to the Cenotaph, where wreaths are to be laid honoring those Polish and Canadian volunteers who gave their lives in WWI.
Photo below: November 1917, Jan Paderewski at the Camp Kościuszko
Photo: Cemetery
