Visiting Where Your Milsurp Came From

[awalker1829]

On the way home from a family trip to Poland. Tour of Gdansk went past the old arsenal. Drove through Radom-no pictures of it. Radom today is nothing more than a wide spot on a two lane road.

Gotta say that for a country less than forty years past communism, Poland is thriving. They are a major exporter of agricultural products and are spending tons of money on infrastructure improvements.

Took photos of the Gdansk arsenal-now used for special occasions and the Westerplatte. The attack on the Westerplatte was the opening of WWII. Took a photo of the old lighthouse-a German machine gun crew took up a position in the lighthouse on the night of September 8, 1939. At 4:45 AM on September 9, the machine gun opened fire from the lighthouse on the Polish military base on the Westerplatte, across the river from the lighthouse. Three minutes later, SMS Schleswig-Holstein began shelling the Westerplatte. World War Two began there.

[SA1911a1]

On the way home from a family trip to Poland. Tour of Gdansk went past the old arsenal. Drove through Radom-no pictures of it. Radom today is nothing more than a wide spot on a two lane road.

Gotta say that for a country less than forty years past communism, Poland is thriving. They are a major exporter of agricultural products and are spending tons of money on infrastructure improvements.

Took photos of the Gdansk arsenal-now used for special occasions and the Westerplatte. The attack on the Westerplatte was the opening of WWII. Took a photo of the old lighthouse-a German machine gun crew took up a position in the lighthouse on the night of September 8, 1939. At 4:45 AM on September 9, the machine gun opened fire from the lighthouse on the Polish military base on the Westerplatte, across the river from the lighthouse. Three minutes later, SMS Schleswig-Holstein began shelling the Westerplatte. World War Two began there.

It sounds like a great trip.

Of course, you are right, the shooting started back up at that spot, but the war was a continuation of the previous war to end all war. The participants had an intermission long to have enough time to raise a new generation to slaughter. If I had to assign a specific time an place of the beginning of WWII it would be Nov. 11, 1918 at 11:00 AM, in a railroad car in France.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Well before that Steve, Europe had been coming to the brink of war just about every year for over a decade prior to 1914. Everybody knew it was coming and doing whatever they could to speed it along sure they would come out on top. The interwar years were simply the major participants taking a break to regroup before having another go.

[awalker1829]

Yes to all that. This was a long planned family trip, as part of my mother’s family came from Poland. Fortunately, our ancestors left in the 1890s during an economic depression. Some interesting facts are that Poland was a democracy from 1572 onwards. Starting in 1572, Polish Kings were elected by noblemen. At that time, nobles made up ten percent of the total population. Kings were elected for life, and not all kings were males.

We asked quite a few questions of our driver and guide and got really informative answers. English speakers won’t have any difficulty getting along in the cities-many Poles speak English as it is now a mandatory second language in the schools. Many older folks there do not select cremation, as they associate it with the holocaust. The largest group of immigrants are Ukrainians-they work to send money to their families back home. They like Russians as people, but do not trust the Russian state.

Our party included me, my parents and three cousins. We decided that the trip had to be done now, given the age of my parents and two of my cousins. My brother and two other cousins were unable to go and really missed out on a wonderful trip.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Pictures? Bagels, apparently not invented in Brooklyn, or Queens, I am told they originated in Poland. Next someone will be saying ( probably from Jersey) that Pizza didn't originate in NY either. Well, maybe they were perfected here. Yea, I wouldn't trust the Russian state either if I was living that close to it in Poland. I can easily see why there are trust issues given the history of the last few century's between the two country's. I can't imagine them being all that thrilled about the Germans either. Did you see any bagels in Poland? Friends parents were old country Polish, came over after the war, were involved in resistance activities and saw some seriously bad shit. I mean crap that wouldn't even fly portrayed on the Walking Dead, the most violent TV show of our time. Baby's slammed against walls, people bayoneted in the streets, set on fire, shit the resistance would do when they caught a collaborator, it involved knives and cutting, and worse. After the story's they told I am amazed there was anybody left of that entire generation that wasn't mentally unbalanced.

[awalker1829]

Pictures? Bagels, apparently not invented in Brooklyn, or Queens, I am told they originated in Poland. Next someone will be saying ( probably from Jersey) that Pizza didn't originate in NY either. Well, maybe they were perfected here. Yea, I wouldn't trust the Russian state either if I was living that close to it in Poland. I can easily see why there are trust issues given the history of the last few century's between the two country's. I can't imagine them being all that thrilled about the Germans either. Did you see any bagels in Poland? Friends parents were old country Polish, came over after the war, were involved in resistance activities and saw some seriously bad shit. I mean crap that wouldn't even fly portrayed on the Walking Dead, the most violent TV show of our time. Baby's slammed against walls, people bayoneted in the streets, set on fire, shit the resistance would do when they caught a collaborator, it involved knives and cutting, and worse. After the story's they told I am amazed there was anybody left of that entire generation that wasn't mentally unbalanced.

Yes, we saw bagels and plenty of other pastries around. In one village, we saw log houses that are seventy plus years old, but the logs are so clean on the inside and out that you’d be forgiven for thinking that they were built only a year or so old. Spring cleaning those houses means that they use tons of wood soap to keep the wood looking its best.

[Junk Yard Dog]

You can have a Polish log home of your own because they export them. It comes like a set of Lincoln logs, all pre cut, and you assemble them by the numbers. Not the antique homes of course, but brand new.
Bagels are not considered a pastries in NY, what do they do to them in Poland? I looked them up on the net, some are twisted into a ring, but most look just like ours, same toppings even. Same selection I would expect to find at our local bagel shop except the twisted thing, and I am going to bring that up next time I am in there.

[awalker1829]

Front of Danzig/Gdansk arsenal.


Rear of arsenal.

The arsenal has long since relocated to a more modern facility. The old building is now used as a cultural performance venue.

I should note that the arsenal was probably rebuilt by the Poles after the war. 90% of the city was destroyed by the Germans when they evacuated the city. Warsaw was also 90% destroyed. Prewar population was approximately 1,700,000. Over 800,000 citizens of Warsaw were killed during the war.

[ffuries]

One of the things I miss about living in Europe, the architecture. I loved it when we went into a town and there were buildings older than time. They were built to last that is for sure. The house my Opa and Oma lived in, in Holland, was built in the early 1800s. The Bed and Breakfast my wife and her family stayed in when they first got stationed in England was built in the 1600s. The first house I remember my Dutch uncle living in was made in the 1700s. In the US these places would be on the Historic Registry, over there they aren't concidered to be old enough for that.

[awalker1829]

Another thing about the UK and Europe is that their historic preservation laws have teeth. Listed buildings cannot be demolished or significantly altered by their owners. The National Register of Historic Places affords no real legal protection to listed places. Listing as a National Historic Landmark affords some protection but nothing like the UK or EU.

[ffuries]

Another thing about the UK and Europe is that their historic preservation laws have teeth. Listed buildings cannot be demolished or significantly altered by their owners. The National Register of Historic Places affords no real legal protection to listed places. Listing as a National Historic Landmark affords some protection but nothing like the UK or EU.

Very true and well put. Puts it in perspective.

[SA1911a1]

Another thing about the UK and Europe is that their historic preservation laws have teeth. Listed buildings cannot be demolished or significantly altered by their owners. The National Register of Historic Places affords no real legal protection to listed places. Listing as a National Historic Landmark affords some protection but nothing like the UK or EU.

That, and we are a throwaway society. As a nation, we have been rich enough to bulldoze old houses to make room for new ones. Even with modern houses, as long as you keep a good roof on one, and keep the termites out it will last indefinitely.

The way our society works, if the right company had a strong need for the land, we would find an excuse for them to bulldoze Arlington to put up a factory to "create jobs" making widgets. In Europe, demolition has usually come about by acts of war. The US did our part in urban renewal by terror bombings in cultural centers like Dresden.

https://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.c ... g-city.jpg

[awalker1829]

Another thing about the UK and Europe is that their historic preservation laws have teeth. Listed buildings cannot be demolished or significantly altered by their owners. The National Register of Historic Places affords no real legal protection to listed places. Listing as a National Historic Landmark affords some protection but nothing like the UK or EU.

That, and we are a throwaway society. As a nation, we have been rich enough to bulldoze old houses to make room for new ones. Even with modern houses, as long as you keep a good roof on one, and keep the termites out it will last indefinitely.

The way our society works, if the right company had a strong need for the land, we would find an excuse for them to bulldoze Arlington to put up a factory to "create jobs" making widgets. In Europe, demolition has usually come about by acts of war. The US did our part in urban renewal by terror bombings in cultural centers like Dresden.

https://twistedsifter.files.wordpress.c ... g-city.jpg

These photos I took show all that remains of the Saxon Palace in Warsaw. Three arches. There has been great discussion between historians and government officials as to whether the Palace should be rebuilt or left as is. The Palace was once the home of the Chopin family.

Today, the arches are the home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Like our Tomb in Arlington, it is guarded around the clock. Unlike Arlington, barriers do not completely rope the tomb off from the public. Everyone there knows that you do not approach any closer than the black marble. If you do, the sentry will confront you.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Terror bombing Dresden? I repeated that to the Old Man and here is a direct quote from a 92 year old WW2 combat infantry veteran who dragged his ass across Europe fighting every inch of the way. " Fuck Dresden, try pushing yourself into the bottom of a muddy foxhole while under German shell fire, that will teach you what terror really means" The guys taking fire, and doing the dying would have nuked every city in Germany if it ended the war five seconds sooner.

[Rowdy1]

It’s amazing that when you visit Europe as all have mentioned the buildings that are standing are things you read about in history books. Don’t remember the village in Franch’s name but the guide pointed to a small stone house and said to us Joan of Arc grew up in that house. Blew me away. In the US there’d just be a plack on the groud.

[Brake Weight]

The USofA is a young civilization compared to Europe/Asia.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Depends on your definition of civilization. For most of their history the Europeans behaved in what I would consider a very uncivilized manner to themselves and anyone else unfortunate enough to come to their notice. There were civilizations in the Americas as old or older than the European ones before the Vikings and Chinese even thought about reaching these shores. They may have been just as savage to each other as the Europeans were, but they left remains behind for us to study so you have to consider them to have had a civilization. For all our problems what we and the Europeans have today is the most civil of any civilization in human history, and yet people are going out of their way to fuck it up . Just the fact that we can get in a vehicle and cross 3000 miles from coast to coast reasonably safe with every expectation of arriving alive and with our worldly goods without an army would have mind boggled someone from any civilization since the glory days of Rome.