On our way down to the Senior Couple’s Mission Conference, we stopped to see the Polish Royal Castle at Wawel. We toured the Wawel Cathedral and saw the crypts of the most honored people in Poland including Queen Jadwiga and Tadeusz Kościuszko.
Queen Jadwiga was the first female head of state in Poland, living from 1373 to 1399. It was a time when Poland was strong and she was a good ruler. She married the king of Lithuania and united the two countries together.
Imagine my surprise to find this plaque, given by a joint session of the US Congress, by the crypt of a Polish patriot, Tadeusz Kościuszko. Who was he? I found that he was a talented Polish military engineer who volunteered to serve in the American Revolution. He was responsible for the defensive fortifications at both West Point and Saratoga. His work is credited for turning the tide of the war. After America won, he returned to Poland and, as a military commander, protected his country from a Russian army. He lies today as one of the most honored Polish – and American – patriots.
