Polish-American Military Museum Opens in Wadowice

September 13, 2008

Vice Consul Halat, Mr. Zygmunt Kraus with soldiers in period uniform

A private museum dedicated to the “Hell’s Angel’s” - eleven American airmen whose plane went down in Zygodowice near Wadowice - opened on September 13 in Wadowice.  The plane crashed on September 13, 1944 while on a mission to bomb a synthetic fuel factory near Oswiecim.  In addition to memorializing the lost airmen, the museum has exhibits on centuries of Polish-American military cooperation.  Mr. Zygmunt Kraus, the director of the museum, has been working for years on the collection.  Vice Consul Nathan Halat attended the opening ceremonies, which took place on the 64th anniversary of the crash.  He gave a speech commemorating the airmen and the centuries of friendship shared by Poland and the United States.