Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I announce that on this past Sunday, at the age of 96, Mieczyslaw “Mitch” Lutczyk, a friend, Oshawa resident, Polish veteran, and war hero, passed away.
At the beginning of the Second World War, Mitch served in the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade in Poland. After being interned in Hungary, he escaped to France to rejoin his recreated brigade. After the fall of France, Mitch reached England and joined the 1st Polish Armoured Division , which landed on Juno Beach on D-Day with the 2nd Canadian Corps.
Mitch's bravery and courage while serving with the Polish army was so impressive that has been decorated by the governments of France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. In 2011, the Polish government awarded him the prestigious Order of Polonia Restituta medal. Previous recipients of this award include Dwight D. Eisenhower and Simon Wiesenthal.
In 2013, I was honoured to personally present Mitch with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Mitch settled in Oshawa in 1970 and was active in Polish-Canadian veterans organizations. His legacy is and will remain an inspiration to all of Oshawa.