Genealogy Roadshow Uncovers Connections To Falcons
“Did you know anything about the [Falcons]? Did you think it was just an athletic club?” The researchers from the new PBS program, Genealogy Roadshow, uncovered one Detroit woman’s family connection to the Polish Falcons organization. Billing itself as “part detective story, part emotional journey,” Genealogy Roadshow explores individual family histories in the context of broader global history.
When Eugenia Gorecki approached Genealogy Roadshow, she hoped to learn more about her father, who died in 1942 when she was only two years old. She learned that her father had been killed by Nazis for his involvement in the Polish Falcons organization. The Polish Falcons in Poland, much like their counterparts in America at that time, dedicated themselves to defending Poland, through force if necessary. When Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, members of the Polish Falcons fought back: disrupting communication, derailing trains, and collecting weapons for armed resistance. The Nazis did everything in their power to quash this resistance; Ms. Gorecki’s father was one of many Polish Falcons killed for their dedication to Poland. “It’s a surprise,” said Ms. Gorecki after learning the reason for her father’s death. “I feel really good about it, because those are my beliefs also.”
You can watch the rest of the Genealogy Roadshow episode in Detroit by visiting http://www.pbs.org/program/genealogy-roadshow/.
Learn more about the history of the Polish Falcons organization, including its military history, by visiting the PFA Online Museum at http://polishfalcons.tumblr.com.
