11/3/2003 - A telephone call from Iraq to the Anti-Bigotry Committee of the Polish American Congress in New York proves it’s a small world after all. Williiam Grodnick of the Pulaski Association of the New York City Police made the call. He was in uniform when he dialed except it was a U.S. Army uniform instead of the N.Y. City Police. Grodnick’s army reserve unit had been activated last February and sent to Iraq in April. By coincidence, he is currently stationed in an area where Poland sent a special contingent of its soldiers to be part of the Coalition Force along with the U.S. and Great Britain. It was a thank you call to the Anti-Bigotry Committee for speaking out and rebutting Barry Blitt’s derogatory cartoon about Polish solders in Iraq The Atlantic Monthly published in its October issue. Grodnick heard about it all the way in Iraq and shared this information with his soldier friends from Poland. He deepened his affection for Poland after the Polish government extended an invitation to the Pulaski Police to go there to visit.
Bill Grodnick is one American who really takes pride in his Polish roots, said Frank
Milewski who heads the Polish American Congress’ anti-bias unit. The Pulaski Association is a member organization of the Polish American Congress.