Photo: Rep. Dennis Kucinich, R.Poremski, C. Tomczykowski.
While commemorating the Polish victims of the Soviet aggression of September 17, 1939, the participants deliberated how to achieve healing of the wounds and genuine reconciliation between the people of Russia and Poland in the twenty first century. The participants acknowledged that the path to reconciliation leads through revealing the full truth.
Professor David Crane who served as Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone presented Expert Report from the Katyń Symposium that took place at Case Western Reserve School of Law in February 2011. Referring to the Expert Report, he pointed out that genuine reconciliation must be built on truthful accountability through full disclosure, atonement, contrition and compensation. He also stated that although various experts offer different classifications of the Katyń crime, according to him Katyń qualified as genocide. Prof. Crane also stated that the United States should consider forwarding the evidence, findings and recommendations of the Madden Committee to the General Assembly of the United Nations with the recommendations that the United Nations take appropriate steps to have the case forwarded to the International Court of Justice and/or seek the establishment of the international commission that will investigate this case. The other ways in which the United States could assist in seeking justice for the Katyń crime would be the full disclosure of documents related to Katyń that are in the possession of the US Government and adopting legislation that would recognize the wrong that has been done by the United States as a result of the suppression of evidence. The United States should also consider issuing an apology to the Katyń victims and the Polish people, providing compensation to the Katyń families who are US citizens either directly or through the establishment of the Katyń Truth and Reconciliation Institute, and sponsoring the educational outreach program on the Katyń crime and the cover-up.
Dr. John Lenczowski, President of the Institute of World Politics, in his opening remarks pointed out that the Katyń crime aimed at eliminating the leadership class of Poland. He criticized the Russian anti-Katyń strategy by pointing out that the Soviet soldiers taken as prisoners of war by Poland as a result of the 1920 Polish-Russian War represented the invading army and died of communicable diseases. He also elaborated on the role of the US Government in covering up the Katyń crime and suppressing all Katyń related information, including the destruction of the key eyewitness reports by the top US Military Intelligence Officer, in order not to upset Moscow. He pointed out that the key Katyń-related documents have never been released by the US Government. Apparently, there is never a good time to do so, especially when the USA aims at resetting relations with Russia.
Frank Spula, President of the Polish-American Congress, spoke about the significance of the Katyń crime for the Polish-American community. He stated that he was honored to be in this congressional office building and participate in such a historical event, especially considering that this building was named after Sam Rayburn who initiated the original investigation into the Katyń crime sixty years ago. Back then Roman Pucinski, the Chief Investigator of the Madden Committee led the struggle for truth and justice. Today his daughter, Aurelia Pucinski, came to this congressional building to continue her father’s struggle for justice. Katyń has a special significance to the Americans of Polish heritage. It also has a distinct personal meaning to President Spula, who was invited to fly to Katyń with President Lech Kaczynski on April 10, 2010. He is still with us because he was unable to accept this invitation. President Spula pointed out that the Katyń crime has the same importance to the Polish community as the Holocaust has to the Jewish community.
Photo: President Spula, Honorable Pucinski, Senator Kirk, President Anselmo
The appearance on the Capitol Hill of the daughter of Roman Pucinski – Honorable Aurelia Pucinski – sixty years after the issuance of the Madden Committee Final Report was of painfully symbolic significance. The world shall wonder whether the lack of resolve of the US Congress to act on the 1952 recommendations of the Madden Committee brought back the cry for justice for the Katyń victims to the Capitol Hill sixty years later. Honorable Aurelia Pucinski discussed her father’s struggle with the bureaucrats of the US and British governments who for reasons of political expediency and short term gains purposely and deliberately suppressed all evidence of the Soviet guilt in the Katyń crime. In her remarks, Honorable Aurelia Pucinski stated that the execution of the Polish officers in the Katyń forest and other locations throughout the Soviet Union constitute the most brutal act of genocide against the leadership of the nation ever recorded in history.
John Van Oudenaren, Director of the World Digital Library at the Library of Congress reported on the UNESCO Declaration adopted on May 21, 2011 in Warsaw (“Warsaw Declaration”) on the protection of documentary heritage with respect to culture, memory and identity of the world. He expressed his willingness to work with the Polish-American community along the lines of the spirit of the Warsaw Declaration with respect to Katyń documentary heritage.
Three members of the 112th US Congress made their appearance at the Katyń conference. Senator Mark Kirk was honored by the Illinois Division of the Polish-American Congress with the 2011 Roman Pucinski Award for Outstanding Leadership by undertaking legislative initiative for the inclusion of Poland in the visa waiver program and for supporting the strengthening of the defensive alliance between Poland and the United States. Senator Kirk declared that he would work to assure that Poland remains free, independent, peaceful, and an integral member of the Western Alliance.
The Roman Pucinski Award was established in honor of Representative Roman Pucinski (1919-2002) for his unyielding courage and determination to seek truth and justice for the Katyń victims. Roman Pucinski served as the Chief Investigator of the Special Congressional Committee for the Katyń Forest Massacre. In spite of great political pressure, Roman Pucinski led the congressional investigation into the Katyń Forest Massacre with the highest professional standards, open-mindedness, fairness and impeccable objectivity. Through the Roman Pucinski Leadership Award, the PAC Illinois desires to encourage political leaders to follow the highest professional standards in public service as set forth by Honorable Roman Pucinski.
Representative Dennis Kucinich in his remarks pointed out that Poland shall serve as an example that the cruel history can be overcome. He discussed the ways in which the United States can help in healing the wounds of the Katyń crime. Referring to the resolution of the Russian Duma of November 2010, he emphasized that Russia must face its past and the United States can play a constructive role in this process. He also declared his support for the efforts to commemorate the lives of twenty two thousand Polish officers murdered by the Soviets and to find a meaningful path towards healing the heard of Poland over this gravest assault on humanity. Representative Dennis Kucinich was presented with the Honorary Membership in the National Katyń Memorial Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland, by the Foundation Chairman – Richard Poremski. Foundation Director Carla Tomaszewski presented Congressman Kucinich with eight drawings of the National Katyń Memorial Monument.
Photo: President Spula, Maria Szonert, Esq, Marcy Kaptur
The closing remarks belonged to Wesley Adamczyk, Son of the Polish Officer held in Starobielsk, murdered in Kharkov, and buried in the Piatichatki forest. In June of 1989, after nearly six decades of searching for his father, Adamczyk together with his son was finally able to pay last respect to his father at the Piatichatki cemetery. Upon leaving the cemetery, Adamczyk appealed to his son to never forget that the truth always comes out despite the grinding of the bones and planting of the trees over the graves. Adamczyk stressed that the conspiracy of silence was born at the London meeting where the Big Four victorious powers allowed the Soviets to handle the prosecution of the Katyń crime, knowing that all arrows pointed to the Soviet guilt. The Western Allies won the war but justice for the victims of Katyń was never sought or achieved. Adamczyk appealed to the Government of the United State to undertake pro-active steps towards full disclosure and dissemination of all documents related to the Katyń atrocity in the possession of the US Government.
Maria Szonert, Esq.
President
Libra Institute, Inc.