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Post Info TOPIC: There is still a living WWI Veteran in Poland
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Lieutenant-Colonel

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There is still a living WWI Veteran in Poland
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Im cased you missed this news report - it appears there is still a living WWI veteran in Poland and he has had an incredible life!

http://www.businessinsider.com/poland-just-promoted-a-112-year-old-wwi-veteran-to-an-army-captain-2012-2



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Brigadier

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He is NOT a WW1 veteran!

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Lieutenant-Colonel

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The article states "He soon enlisted in the Polish army, and fought in a Polish cavalry unit during World War I."  If this is wrong, please correct the statement and provide a reference to refute the article.



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Brigadier

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Read wikipedia in English and Polish and countless articles in Polish published every year.

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_veterans_of_World_War_I
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Kowalski
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B3zef_Kowalski_(weteran)

Article in English:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/91254,1920-War-veteran-gets-promotion

Examples of articles in Polish:

http://www.wp.mil.pl/pl/artykul/12476
http://fakty.interia.pl/galerie/galeria/112-letni-jozef-kowalski-awansowany/zdjecie/duze,1599367,1

I have no idea where was information on him fighting in WW1 taken from by the author of the article (probably from this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/polands-defense-minister-promotes-wwi-veteran-aged-112-to-captain/2012/02/24/gIQApuZoXR_story.html), but it is obviously wrong. Believe me - if it was true, everyone would stress it, because it would be sensational that a Pole is the last living WW1 veteran. In reality he is the last living veteran of the Polish-Soviet war of 1919-1921 (another mistake in the article is that it is written that this war was in 1919-1920). He also fought in 1939 Defensive War.



-- Edited by Albert on Friday 2nd of March 2012 11:57:10 AM

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Lieutenant

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Please, have a look at a Polish paper which is surely more reliable than any non-Polish paper. It is not claiming any WWI participation:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/91254,1920-War-veteran-gets-promotion

No word about a WWI veteran. He is the last veteran of the Polish war against Soviet Russia.

No word about any participation in the Polish Legion (since 1916) or the so-called "Polish Army" in the West in 1917/18. A real Polish Army was not established before the end of WWI.

 



-- Edited by K-Flak on Saturday 3rd of March 2012 11:21:09 AM

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Albert,

First, there is no need to apologize about your English - it is very good. 

Second, I am not sure that we can dismiss the article's comment about Józef Kowalski being a WWI veteran.  To me, the Washington Post article (from the Associated Press) is a more reliable source than Wikipedia, yet either one could be wrong.  So there we have it - no definitive proof that Kowlaski was, or was not, a WWI veteran.

Regards,

Marc

 



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Brigadier

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K-Flak wrote:

Please, have a look at a Polish paper which is surely more reliable than any non-Polish paper. It is not claiming any WWI participation:

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/91254,1920-War-veteran-gets-promotion

No word about a WWI veteran. He is the last veteran of the Polish war against Soviet Russia.

No word about any participation in the Polish Legion (since 1916) or the so-called "Polish Army" in the West in 1917/18. A real Polish Army was not established before the end of WWI.

 



-- Edited by K-Flak on Saturday 3rd of March 2012 11:21:09 AM


 

That's right! If he was a WW1 veteran, we Poles would know about it, such a fact simply wouldn't be overlooked! Since many years on his every birthday and other occasions (awards etc.) there are lots of new articles and information in TV news. I've never heard or read anything on him fighting in WW1. That's why I don't need any other proof - I'm 100% sure he is not a WW1 veteran. I think that private conversation with him is not needed wink He was asked about his life many times, so unless he has amnesia regarding the years 1914-1918, he surely didn't fight in WW1 wink The fact that theoretically he was old enough to fight in the second half of the war doesn't mean that he did.



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Lieutenant

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Indeed, you are right, Albert!

A simple misinformation was going like a wave though the English-speaking press and finally becomes "established fact".



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Legend

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K-Flak wrote:

A simple misinformation was going like a wave though the English-speaking press and finally becomes "established fact".


 Now where have I come across that before?



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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.



Lieutenant

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It is amazing to google with Polish WWI veteran, aged 112, promoted to captain. Everybody takes over the message with the wrong headline. And one source did even turn him into a Russian in error!



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Lieutenant-Colonel

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That is a problem with the Internet.  Lots of information, little vetting.  Without other means to verifiy the information, if something is repeated many times it must be true!



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