What a shock to the people in Poland, to lose their top tier of government in today's plane crash. The tragic irony in this crash was that President Kaczynski was on his way to commemorate the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by the Soviet secret police in 1940.
A personal anecdote: I was part of a F-16 squadron in Germany that deployed to Poland in 1997 for the first-ever Partnership for Peace exercise between NATO and Poland. These exercises are a segue way into eventual NATO membership. I was a novelty to them--except in the medical fields, very few women were in the Polish military. Many of the men politely asked if they could take pictures with me at the air show, for most had never seen a female military officer. The lasting impression for all of us on that trip though, was the enthusiasm and gratefulness they expressed to us. You could see it in their faces: that finally, NATO and above all, the US, was holding open the door to the alliance for them. They were desperate for that security guarantee, for it was key to their newly found freedom. By our military standards, their accommodations were modest, but it was clear they took pains to put out the best they had for us in every way, whether it was barracks or mess. Because of their overwhelming warmth, we were mindful to show our appreciation for their efforts.
To the people of Poland, my deepest sympathies in your time of national mourning.
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