Maria Majchrzyk
Class 6
Elementary School in Brody
7 November 1946
What do the mass graves say?
In the forest to the north of our village, there is a large grave surrounded by bushes. Polish youths who fought for freedom rest there. The youths who lie in that dark grave died a heroic death at the hands of the enemy. As we approach the village the grave reminds us of the terrible moments from the occupation. The Polish people felt very sorry for the youths, because everybody knew a lot of them would die in horrible battles. But our youths died not with despair, but with smiles on their faces, because they knew they were sacrificing their lives for our country. Polish partisans showed us how to love our fatherland and how to die for it. Our young fighters do not have coffins, they were buried in holes by the Hitlerite criminals. There were no church organs, nobody sang; the only song was the sound of cannons and machine guns. That was the funeral for our warriors!
After the big battle, the poor partisans – scattered like a ruined anthill – wandered the forest until they arrived at their prearranged destination. Poor, lost youths grieving their lost comrades, who were killed and buried by the enemy. People clean the cemeteries on 2 November, but the graves of the fallen heroes in the forests remain abandoned, because their relatives do not know about them. Such sad and painful times these families must have had! How many tears lonely mothers and wives had to shed over their children and husbands. What a sad life to live, for them and the poor orphans! The Polish youth wanted to fight and die for their country. They wanted the whole world, even their enemies, to praise them for their love and sacrifice for their country.
At the end of my story, I want to quote the words of a song which was sung by partisans in the forests to brighten their moods:
Our Poland! Lovely Poland,
you are free already, like a flower
the surviving partisans
won our country with all their power!