Remembering My Visit to Poland Days Before Soviet Invasion

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New York, N.Y. I remember when I first visited the capital of Poland in July 1981. Lech Walesa was powerful and the Soviet Union was days away from invading.

I arrived via train, having come across Siberia to Moscow en route to Berlin, returning from my junior year abroad in Tokyo. I wanted to visit my host family in Germany whom I had live with my gap year between high school and college when I attended Gymnasium through AFS.

In July 1981, the Soviets increased their military presence at their secret the military base at Borne Sulinowo, where the Red Army stationed per Warsaw Pact agreement as in all other Eastern Bloc countries. 

Without notifying the Polish authorities, the Soviets unexpectedly sent over 600 tanks to Borne Sulinowo. The Soviets were worried about the explosive popularity of “Solidarity.”

Remembering My Visit to Poland Days Before Soviet Invasion (July 6, 2020)