Walking on board the Carnival Liberty, I noticed the name tags of the crew members said not only their names, but their country of origin. It was astonishing to see the multitude of different countries that people came from and the variety of accents jumbled together over dinner conversations. Countries like India, Thailand, the Philippines, Canada, Russia, and Poland were on board such that it represented a microcosm.

Almost anywhere you go, you are bound to find someone that shares a certain quality with you. Whether you share a common country of origin, language, religion, ethnicity, or heritage, you can find something to talk about and a conversation almost always sparks up. I especially love when I discover that someone is Polish and I learn about their family background. During my cruise, this past week I was lucky enough to meet my two waiters, John and Ernesto, who were from the Philippines, as well as a waitress, Panyvee, who was from Thailand. These people were exceptional and had warm personalities.

Some of their culture was portrayed to my family and me when one waiter demonstrated his napkin-folding skills. Parts of Asia are very well known for origami, but I consider this napkin-folding “super-origami.” I also was fortunate to meet a Polish woman, Sofia, who worked at the coffee bar. Since cash was not used on the ship, we had to use a “sail-and-sign” card to purchase drinks or souvenirs. Whenever a purchase was made, the customer’s name would pop up and he or she would sign the receipt. When we purchased a coffee, Sofia immediately recognized my last name as Polish and pronounced it correctly the first time. I was pleasantly surprised. There was an immediate connection and conversation soon followed. We briefly talked about Poland and asked each other about their family. She explained to us that she grew up in Poland and vaguely mentioned her family. We told Sofia about ourselves and how we live as Polish-Americans. When we left to go back to the pool, we quickly said “thank you” and “good-bye” in Polish. A woman from Indonesia and another from Russia also worked at the coffee bar, which is somewhat ironic since Poland and Russia aren’t what you would call friends.

On the cruise we stopped at three different ports of call in the Western Carribean. We traveled to Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Caymen and Ocho Rios, Jamaica respectively. The culture in these three destinations varied from each other and the culture here in the United States. Almost immidietly upon entering each country I was able to detect a taste of the culture based upon what people were wearing, products for sale and the native's attitude towards tourists. In Mexico we were welcomed off the ship by Mexicans dressed as Indians. My cousin and I received a "warm" welcome when we had our picture taken with an Indian who kept getting us to smile by saying he was a Mexican Playboy. That day we mainly shopped around and eventualy stopped for lunch in Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, which was crawling with tourists who had a little too much to drink. A waitor made guacamole right in front of us and a Mexican clown snuck up behind me and stuck a balloon hat of a monkey with a palm tree on my head. Obviously knowing my luck my balloon hat was the biggest and most embarissing between my brother, my sister, my cousin and I. In Grand Caymen, however, we went snorkeling on a shore excursion and once again went to a Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville. This Margaritaville had the most flare and the DJ's really got the crowd going by pouring free shots of tequila into anyone who volunteered and was legal. In Jamaica we shopped in a small series of stores which had security guards at every entrance. The natives were like sharks; they tried to get you to buy their service or product and they were very persistant. I felt safer in Mexico than in Jamaica, considering the barbed-wired fences surround you and the ship. Yet again we went to another Margaritaville, which had a water slide and pool right next to the dining tables. Overall, the three destinations presented some similarities but there were many other factors that greatly contrasted the cultures to that of the United States and even of Poland.

I know is something of a cliché, but you really do learn new things every day. When you meet a new person with the same heritage as yourself, you may learn new things about your heritage. The cruise was a great opportunity to compare and contrast the different cultures of the crew members, and the different ports of call. On the cruise, I visited Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios. Each port of call had something different to offer – both in terms of the people and the landscape.

There are many opportunities for conversation based upon common factors that people share. Next time you are at a restaurant or on vacation and you meet someone, ask about his or her home, family, or heritage, and you’ll be sure to find strike up a conversation. The person that is sitting next to you at a restaurant, or working at a coffee shop could be Polish, Italian, or French. By talking to that person, you may learn something new. I was privileged to meet someone from Poland, someone with whom I shared a common heritage. By talking to Sofia about that common heritage, I was able to brighten her day just a bit, by reminding her of her home back in Poland.

945

West Point, New York

Standing on the pavement of the sidewalk, I began to take in the breath-taking scenery that lay below me and in front of me. My legs were stiff from the four hour car ride and my head was throbbing from the constant quarrelling between my brother and sister. But now, everything was good. The reviving air was whispering through the trees as it rose from the valley below and cadets surrounded me as they hustled all over the campus on their routinely jog. This was the United States Military Academy at West Point, which is very well known for its academics. West Point is a reminder to all what had taken place in the year of 1776 between the American colonies and Great Britain.Over the course of my lifetime, I have had the privilege to visit West Point three times and I am visiting again this spring.

Each year I have been to West Point I have attended a memorial dedicated to Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish war hero. Each memorial is over the course of two days. There is a conference on the first day and the second day follows with a mass at the church on campus, a parade with the West Point marching band and skydivers, a ceremony at the monument dedicated to Kosciuszko and a luncheon at the Thayer Hotel. West Point consists of an enormous military base and very mountainous and hilly terrain. The fortifications of West Point were designed by Thaddeus Kosciuszko in 1772 and were established as a military base in the year of 1802. West Point was built directly on the Hudson River and in the mountains as an advantage during battle. Kosciuszko was so brilliant that he devised a plan to put a chain across the river to stop the British fleet ships from traveling down the river.

West Point has always been an exhilarating and educational experience. The first time I had ever been to the military base, I was scared beyond belief. As our station-wagon pulled up to the check-in window, a man in uniform and carrying a gun approached our car. He asked my parents what their purpose in West Point was and several other security questions. By the time the questioning was over the man turned to my brother, my sister and I and said that we had to answer one question for him: "who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" Later that day my family and I decided to check out the museum just outside of the campus. Like any fifth-grader, I wasn't all too impressed with the museum and I wasn't able to appreciate what it really had to offer. However, my second visit to West Point when I was in the seventh grade had a very different change in scenery.

My grandfather was the head founder of The American Association of the Friends of Kosciuszko at West Point and decided to have me read two speeches that year. The first speech I read was during the conference and the second was in front of the Kosciuszko monument. These two instances happened to be the scariest moments I can recall. One distinct memory I have of that year at West Point was at the luncheon on the second day. My family was eating with the "vice" ambassador of Poland and his two daughters. My family had gotten up to get more food and I was left eating my alfredo chicken with the ambassador. I went to put a piece of chicken in my mouth and completely missed. When I looked up I realized that the ambassador was looking right at me when it happened, yet I still put the fork in my mouth like nothing had happened. Last year in West Point was the typical routine and nothing too out of the ordinary. I at least managed not to embarrass myself in front of any important political figures.

West Point is beautiful and a great spot to visit for historians and families alike. West Point has a vast span of rolling tree-covered mountains. The Hudson River snakes through the mountains while boats and barges trudge on to their destinations. West Point has spectacular views and provides a historical background that looks deeply into the history of the United States. The parade grounds, the mountains, the river and the public areas make West Point a guaranteed place to visit. The Thayer Hotel is located right on the grounds and is multifunctional for purposes like the annual conference for the American Association of the Friends of Kosciuszko at West Point.

My favorite attraction at West Point is the monument dedicated to Thaddeus Kosciuszko. The monument is mounted on a concrete base and ascends one hundred or so feet. On top of the base is a statue of Thaddeus Kosciuszko looking out at the Hudson River. This monument comemorates Kosciuszko for his contributions to the United States and features him almost as a protector of West Point.

West Point, New York was originally designed as a military base during the Revolutionary war. However, West Point eventually became one of the top rated colleges in the country and is known particularly for it's rivalry with the United States Navy. Truly there is nothing better than witnessing the sun set just over the tops of the mountains or having a smile spread from ear to ear across your face when you read "BEAT NAVY" written on the roof of the sports arena. West Point has developed into a successful United States military base all thanks to Thaddeus Kosciuszko's high intellect. West Point holds high standards for the students they educate to essentially send them out into the world to fight their own battles. West Point was and forever will be one of the greatest achievments of Thaddeus Kosciuszko and of the United States of America.

Word Count: 962

Polish and American Revolutionary War Heroes

Kosciuszko is shown on the top in black and white and Pulaski is shown on the bottom in color.

Whenever someone hears the term “war heroes” they often think of old men sitting in the VFW remembering the nights they fought in the war when they were young. Old men rambling on about their rites of passage during the most trying times of their lives. War heroes go beyond American veterans still alive today. In fact, some of the greatest war heroes date back to the American Revolution and Civil War. Two very important soldiers fought in the American Revolution war yet they were not American. Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski were Polish war heroes who greatly shaped the outcome of the American Revolution.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko is best well-known for his contributions in engineering during the Revolutionary War. Thaddeus was born into a family of noble background but was not considerably wealthy. Thaddeus’s father was a dignified man and would not allow Thaddeus to play war games with the peasant children. Thaddeus often pondered his father’s reasoning and he came to believe that all people are created equal and should be treated equally. Kosciuszko supported the rights of Negroes, serfs and peasants. Thaddeus thought that Negroes should have the right to an education, serfs should not be bound to the land upon which they worked and peasants should have more roles in society. After his death, Thaddeus left a sum of his money to be used to build a school for Negroes in the United States where African-Americans could be educated in trade and business. This school was the first Negro school to be built in the United States and was named after Thaddeus Kosciuszko in remembrance. In addition to his nobility, Thaddeus was also very well educated. He used his education and talents to help George Washington, the first president of the United States, to defeat the British troops for the independence of the thirteen colonies. In fact, Thaddeus Kosciuszko was the first “of all the distinguished military men who came from abroad to fight for the independence of the thirteen colonies,” says Robert H. Wilson, author of “Thaddeus Kosciuszko and His Home in Philadelphia”. After Thaddeus arrived in America, he was put to work designing several forts to be used as American bases. One of his best known projects was the fortifications at West Point on the Hudson River in New York. Thaddeus was named the chief engineer of West Point because of his military expertise in design. In effect, West Point is considered to be one of Kosciuszko’s greatest built defenses considering that the British forces never attempted to capture it. Kosciuszko was praised by both George Washington and Congress for his great accomplishments. Many historians and Polish people today consider Thaddeus Kosciuszko to be the “George Washington” of Poland. Thaddeus Kosciuszko greatly contributed to the victory of the thirteen colonies in their fight for freedom and currently has several memorials in his name including West Point and Cracow, Poland. Not only was Thaddeus Kosciuszko a hero and leader in his own country but also in America.

Like Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Casimir Pulaski aided George Washington during the Revolution and is referred to “a hero on horseback”. Casimir Pulaski was born on March fourth 1747 and was a very determined and eager boy throughout his youth. Casimir was born into a very noble and wealthy family and grew up with many opportunities to be able to make a difference in the world. At a young age, Casimir learned how to ride a horse and became very skillful while mounted. Casimir and a few of his friends used to play war games while on horseback and speared apples off of fences with lances they had constructed themselves. By the time Casimir was twenty years of age, Russian soldiers had begun to invade Poland. Russia sought Poland’s fertile land and came to conquer. Casimir’s father began to act out and tried to make his fellow Poles aware of the situation. Despite this, many Polish people went about their daily lives yet Casimir’s father continued to create armies. Casimir joined his father’s army and soon began to teach his men things such as how to ride a horse properly and how to shoot a musket at the same time. Not long after, Russians kidnapped the Polish King and accused Casimir of the crime and he fled his country. Later in his life, after escaping from country to country, Casimir was arrested and put in prison by the French because he could not pay his debts. After Casimir was released from prison he went to speak with Benjamin Franklin, the American ambassador located in France. There, Casimir talked about his desire to fight for General George Washington for the independence of the colonies. It was in 1777 that Casimir came to America to help fight in the Revolutionary War. Casimir was a man who sought liberty as a personal goal so that all people may be free. Despite the fact that he failed to expunge the Russians from Poland, Casimir brought his military knowledge to the colonies and realized that George Washington and the Congress did not have a thorough understanding of cavalry forces. Even though Casimir was an exceptional fighter and commander, he was strongly disliked by Americans. This factor led to Casimir resigning and the creation of the Pulaski Legion that battled in the South primarily. Essentially, Casimir’s beliefs and ideas were advanced compared to the Americans and were put to use during the American Civil War. To this day Casimir Pulaski is referred to as “an experienced and accomplish cavalry commander,” says author Francis Casimir Kajencki, and will be remembered as a true hero on horseback.

These two men, Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski, were great war heroes. Not only did they fight for Poland’s freedom and liberty but for America’s as well. I find it very disappointing that students today do not learn of these two Polish men. Considering all of their contributions to American history, the tales and life stories of Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski should be taught in schools nationwide. My knowledge of Kosciuszko and Pulaski comes solely from my experiences and learning outside of school.

Thaddeus Kosciuszko and Casimir Pulaski were exceptional heroes and greatly contributed to America's victory and played key roles in American history. Both Kosciuszko and Pulaski will be remembered by Poles and Americans as two men who fought passionately for liberty and freedom in two countries.

Word Count: 1,056