Franciszek (Frank) Kosowicz, Chairman of the Relief Committee for Poles in the Former USSR I was born on September 16, 1928 to Maciej and Kamila Kosowicz in Rakow (Molodeczno county in the Wilno district) on the former Polish-Russian border. In the early hours of September 17, 1939, our town was invaded by the Red Army. On June 26, 1941, the German Army drove the Red Army out and occupied the town themselves. In 1942, at the age of 14, I joined the local underground organization, and in December 1943, I joined the regular guerilla forces operating in the field on a full-time basis. I was assigned to the mounted units - first the 27th and later the 23rd cavalry regiments. We did not have lances or sabers, but on horseback, we could move faster, carry more ammunition and cover longer distances. We were known as the Stolpce-Naliboki Group of the Novogrodek district of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) which operated east of the Naliboki forest. By the end of June 1944, we numbered over 800 soldiers fighting against the Germans and Russian partisans who were robbing and murdering the Polish population. At the end of June 1944, we were ordered to move west towards Warsaw. By the end of July, we reached Kampinos forest, just west of Warsaw, after a march of over 600 kilometers. We arrived just in time for the Warsaw Uprising, which started on August 1, 1944. I took part in the fighting in Warsaw and the surrounding area west of the city. Around January 17, 1945, the Red Army moved west of the Vistula river. A few days later, I was stopped and arrested by the Bolsheviks and taken to the NKVD prison in Rembertow. A few days later, I was put on a prison train bound for Siberia. In Brzesc (Brest) during the transfer of prisoners from the prison train to a temporary prison camp, I slipped away and escaped. In early April, I returned to Poland and rejoined the anti-Communist underground in Warsaw. Here I was assigned to the security unit of the high command known as "Delegatura", which was later replaced by "WIN" ("Wolnosc i Niezawislosc" which means "Freedom and Independence"). Both organizations were commanded by Colonel Jan Rzepecki. At the end of November 1945, I left Poland and went to Italy to join General Anders' 2nd Polish Corps. In July 1946, our unit was moved to England. In December 1947, I was discharged from the Polish Armed Forces in the West with the rank of Sargent. I worked at different jobs in England for 3 years. In December 1950, I immigrated to the United States and settled in Rochester, New York. I got a job with Bausch & Lomb Optical Company and worked during the day while going to school at night. However, this did not last long because the Korean War was on, and I was still eligible for the draft. In October 1951, I received a call to duty from Uncle Sam. After 4 months of training, I was shipped to the U.S. Army European Command and assigned to the 6th Infantry regiment in Berlin, Germany, where I spent 17 months. I was discharged from the army in September 1953 with the rank of Corporal - I had been a squad leader. Upon discharge from service, I returned to Rochester and went to work and school to learn the machinist tool and die trade. I married Ludmila Magicka in 1957 and moved to Riverside, California, where I got a job with Rohr Aircraft, where I worked for 33 years. In 1959, my wife passed away, and I was left with our young daughter, Victoria. In 1962, I married Janina Dubicka, and we have been living happily ever after. We moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1992. I have been active in several Polish organizations, such as the Polish National Alliance, the Polish American Congress and the Polish Home Army Veterans. With changes taking place in the former Soviet Union making possible the delivery of badly needed aid to Poles living in oppressive conditions, I decided to form the Relief Committee for Poles in Russia within the framework of the Polish American Congress of Southern California. The motion was approved unanimously, and the Committee came into existence on June 16, 1989. Its first members were Jozef Ladowicz, Michael M. Dutkowski, and Professor Michal Zawadzki. I was elected Chairman and continue in this capacity to this day. Today, our Committee is in its 12th year and counts 13 members. We gratefully accept donations and always provide written acknowledgment of such for tax purposes. All donations to the Committee are tax-deductible. If you would like to send a donation, our address is: The Relief Committee for Poles in the Former USSR 3424 West Adams Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90018 Tel / Fax (323) 933-1046