My grandmother immigrated from Poland when she was sixteen. Although Babci never had more than a few years of schooling, she intuitively understood that education would be her children's golden ticket to a richer life in the US. She encouraged her oldest son, Thaddeus, to apply to West Point. Incredibly, this son of a Polish immigrant was accepted, graduated with honors and eventually promoted to the rank of Colonel. Uncle Thad not only participated in D-Day, but was also an instrumental member of the 38th Engineers, the men who constructed and successfully completed the airstrip on Ascension Island which played a critical role in the destruction of the Nazis. Pictured are my Uncle Thad and his wife, Jean in 1942.
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