President Kaczynski of Poland honors Reagan.

President Kaczynski of Poland honors Reagan.
Nation's highest medal presented posthumously
By Anna Bakalis (Contact)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007


Maria Kaczynski, left, and her husband, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, pay their respects Tuesday at President Reagan's memorial site at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

Photo by Joseph A. Garcia / Star staff Simi Valley 07/17/2007: Maria Kaczynski(cq), left, looks on as her husband Polish President Lech Kaczynski(cq) prepares to present Poland's highest award, the Order of the White Eagle, posthumously to President Ronald Reagan.


Tuesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Klys, 60, saw a fellow freedom fighter, the man who helped turn the trade unions into a 10 million member movement and abolish communism in his country — President Lech Kaczynski of Poland.

Kaczynski was there, in turn, to bestow the Republic of Poland's highest award posthumously on former President Reagan for his efforts to stamp out communism and bring democracy to the people of Poland.

Historically, the medal has been given only to Polish citizens, but Kaczynski presented The Order of the White Eagle to former first lady Nancy Reagan, who accepted it on behalf of her husband.

The ceremony followed a welcome reception that included dozens of Polish Americans, including Klys. Polish flags waved while Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, walked the red carpet leading into the library. He stopped for photos and shook outstretched hands, speaking in Polish to some.

"This is very emotional for me," said Klys, who now lives in San Francisco. "For the last 20 years, Polish immigrants lost communication with our country, but he's the president who's restored it."

Dedicated to reforming Poland, Kaczynski was a delegate to the Solidarity Trade Union and was interned for one year during martial law in 1981, the year Reagan was elected.

When released from internment, he returned to trade union activities and was a member of the underground Solidarity movement. He saw Reagan's tough-on-communism policies working in concert with the Polish democratic underground efforts.

After his election in 1981, Reagan took a hard stance on communism that strengthened Poland and the union's fight for the rights of workers and their families, Kaczynski said.

"There was an awareness among the Russians that American politics would be tough on communism and intervening in Poland," Kaczynski said through a translator.

It was Reagan's influence and political weight that allowed the trade unions to grow and turn into the millions-strong Solidarity movement, Kaczynski said.

At the time, the population of the country was about 36 million.

After years of advising and working with anti-communist groups, Kaczynski was elected president of the Republic of Poland in 2005. He declared a war against corruption and his support for law and order.

Kaczynski was a law professor and adviser to trade unions in the '70s, while Klys was an active member of another anti-communist union. Kaczynski worked as a law professor at Gdansk University, now the University of Warsaw, and Klys worked in the oil refinery.

"While I never met him, I was working together with him, as a freedom fighter," Klys said. "I am proud to be here."

Klys drove down with about 50 members of the San Francisco Polish American Community.

More than 1,000 people attended the event, which included an opening speech by Reagan's former secretary of state, George Shultz.

Kaczynski's wife walked into the lecture hall arm in arm with Shultz, while Nancy Reagan was escorted by Kaczynski.

The president was introduced by Frederick Ryan Jr., chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation. Thirty counsel generals from the Los Angeles area were also in attendance, said Melissa Giller, library spokeswoman.

After the awards presentation, Kaczynski was joined by 30 Polish war veterans for an official wreath-laying ceremony at President Reagan's memorial site.