Tribute to Halina Grabowski

TRIBUTE TO HALINA GRABOWSKI

Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and remember the life of an extraordinary woman—a woman who experienced events that exist to most of us merely as stories in our history textbooks. I am proud to call this woman a fellow Ohioan—one who, as a teenager, fought in the Warsaw Uprising against the invading Germans.

This woman, Halina Grabowski, lived her life with a rare courage and loyalty, and her level of service to humanity is something to which we all should aspire. Halina recently passed away in Cleveland at the age of 75. I would like to share her amazing story with my colleagues in the Senate.

Halina was born in 1928 to a homebuilder and his wife in Warsaw, Poland. She grew up as one of 12 children living comfortably in the city. However, the outbreak of World War II changed forever the kind of life she and her family knew.

The German army swept through Poland in September 1939. As we know all too well, the atrocities the Nazis inflicted on the Polish people were truly horrific. Halina and her family were unable to escape the occupiers. Her house was burned to the ground and her brother died in her arms following a brutal beating by German soldiers. Halina's mother was killed when German planes bombed the church in which she was seeking refuge. At this point, most of us would give up—but not Halina. In the midst of this devastation, she decided to join the resistance movement in Warsaw.

The Warsaw Uprising erupted out of the city's ghettoes on August 1, 1944. After the Jews resisted early efforts to quell the rebellion, masses of German reinforcements entered the city with an order to kill all of its inhabitants. Despite the threat, Halina joined the Armia Krajowa, or Home Army.

Even though the Home Army was greatly disadvantaged, they fought fiercely and bravely. Halina was assigned to duties as a messenger, nurse, and guard. During the resistance, her foot and arm were severely injured by German shells. However, rather than succumbing to her injuries, Halina bandaged herself and returned to her unit. Several times, she and her comrades escaped enemy troops by crawling through sewers and fighting off rats.

Despite their courageous efforts, the Home Army eventually ran out of food, medicine, and ammunition. The Germans captured Halina and her unit and sent them to concentration camps in Germany.

The resistance engaged the German occupiers for 63 days of intense fighting—the longest Polish resistance battle fought during World War II. In addition to its length, the Warsaw Uprising was the greatest military operation undertaken by any resistance movement in Europe at the time. It was an amazing act of courage and overwhelming valor. When it was over, more than 200,000 Polish people had lost their lives fighting for their freedom.

Halina survived the War. She survived the ghetto, the resistance, and a German concentration camp. Throughout this, she also managed to find the love of her life—George Grabowski. They married in England in 1948 after they left Germany. In 1952, Halina and George moved to Cleveland, and although she lived as an American for the next 50 years, her ties to her home country were never severed.

Halina served as an officer in the Polish American Congress, PAC, an umbrella organization of 3,000 Polish-American organizations and clubs. The PAC promotes civic, educational, and cultural programs designed to further not only the knowledge of Polish history, language, and culture, but also to stimulate Polish-American involvement in the United States. Additionally, Halina served as a member of the organization of Polish Veterans Combatants and the SPK Polish service organization.

While much of her new American life was dedicated to Polish causes, Halina was also a devoted mother and wife. She had a daughter and a son, who she raised while working for twenty years in the payroll department of Society National Bank.

Halina lived through one of the most harrowing events the world has ever seen. However, she did not let it overwhelm her. Rather, she courageously fought for her freedom and never gave up. Halina was awarded Poland's A.K. Cross and four other medals for her service in the Home Army. I offer my condolences to her entire family—especially to her husband George; their two children, Theresa and John; and their seven grandchildren.

Halina Grabowski was an amazing woman—we will never forget her.