Pray for Peace - Train for War

It was 1967 when Daniel Poliniski, a native and resident of Sayre, Pa., graduated from the Sayre High School. When he turned 18, which was shortly after, Polinski, who already had two brothers serving in the military, signed on to what would become a 40-year tour of service to his Country.
Serving as the assistant principal at the Sayre High School, a position he has held for over a decade, Polinski remains an in-active reservist with plans to discontinue when he turns 60 on December 9, 2009.
But this 40 plus career has taken Polinski from the jungles of Vietnam, and has carried him through the modern wars in the middle east, and right into his assignment in the early part of the new millennium at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - the location of the detainees held from the most current conflicts.
And this commitment and service seems to be in the blood of the Polinski family, beginning with his father, 91-year old John Polinski Jr. who resides in the VA Home in Bath, his brothers Stephen and Peter, and his daughter Sarah who was recently awarded as the 2008 National VFW Patriots Pen winner. This award for Sarah, was a selection from one of 110,000 essays submitted nationwide.
But with a father who now serves as Senior Vice Commander for the Sayre VFW, and a grandfather who was a recipient of the Purple Heart, and was wounded in combat in Italy, young Sarah has witnessed, first hand, the dedication and commitment of those who are serving overseas - and those who have served.
In his office at the Sayre High School, Sarah's father, Daniel Polinski, keeps a worn photo on his file cabinet that was taken of him while he was stationed in Vietnam in the 1960's.
According to Polinski, the photo is a reminder to him that when you think things are tough - they could be worse.
Polinski told the story of how his service began for him, and what has and has not changed since the beginning of his career with the U.S. Army.
When Polinski elected to join the U.S. Army at the age of 18, his father, who had lost a leg while serving during WWII, was not thrilled with Polinski's decision. "My father would have preferred that I not join," said Polinski.
But Polinski's desire to serve his country led him into the service, and eventually led him to a deployment to Vietnam, and then two wartime deployments during the Gulf War.
Serving on the ground in the U.S. Army, Polinski didn't talk much about his tour in Vietnam, but he did recall a photo that was taken of him while in Vietnam that he soon forwarded to his mother for Halloween.
According to Polinski, he inscribed ... "hope you like my Halloween Costume" ... on the card. It took three weeks for the card to arrive to his mother through the mail.
Polinski also noted that the VFW Post 1536 in Sayre, Pa. paid his dues for the first year while he was serving in Vietnam, and that he remains a member to date.
When Polinski returned to Sayre from Vietnam, he reconnected with some of his buddies who served with him, and soon traveled to Arizona and then Philadelphia where he spent several years working in commercial radio.
Polinski's on-air name in Arizona was Mark Daniels, and in Philadelphia, where he remained from 1973 to 1990, he was known on-air as Dan Polinski.
While residing in Arizona and Philadelphia, Polinski remained in a reserve status, and was eventually deployed to serve during the Gulf War in the 1990's.
But Polinski also had an epiphany of sorts in 1980, when the weather turned against him on a drop zone at Ft. Devon, Mass. Polinski prided himself as being Airborne, and eventually met his near fate when an officer in charge ordered a second drop of paratroopers at Ft. Devon in spite of anticipated high winds.
Being dragged on the ground when his chute landed, Polinski recalled very little as the undeveloped drop zone sped underneath him, winds pulling his chute at high rates of speed.
It was at that time that Polinski was injured, and thought his career might be over.
After several refusals by a medical board to remain in the service, Polinski arrived in front of an officer who was in charge of the decision. Polinski described looking up at the military officer and seeing the medals from Vietnam and combat adorned on his uniform.
With a smile, Polinski knew that this officer would be able to understand why he wanted to continue to serve, in spite of the injuries he sustained during the jump at Ft. Devon, Mass.
And his intuition was right, and the officer soon told him that there was a place for him in the United States Army.
That place soon unfolded, and Polinski was eventually deployed to serve with Civil Affairs during the Gulf War - despite his new injuries.
"It was tough carrying all that stuff for an old man," said Polinski, "but I did it."
And then, following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Polinski learned that a Master Sergeant, which is the rank Polinski had attained by then, was needed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
But en-route to Kandahar, and while being processed at Ft. Benning, Ga., Polinski learned that they were going to Guantanamo Bay instead.
According to Polinski, it was September of 2001, people were living good, the Soviet Empire had collapsed, and the military was figuring out what to do. "We were at relative peace," said Polinski.
But when the attacks occurred, an insurgence followed and the United States started getting detainees out of Afghanistan. The pentagon, at that time, decided to use the base at Guantanomo Bay. "It was close to being shut down, so they thought it would be a good place," said Polinski.
And Polinski arrived at Gitmo just as the military was changing from the old cages to the new detention center. According to Polinski, there was a center originally created where the detainees lived in cages in an outdoor prison.
He also talked about the movement of the detainees, and how they would require leg irons, a waist chain and two guards for transport anywhere within the facility, to include bathroom facilities.
But according to Polinski, the military knew this was going to be a huge operation, so they began new construction immediately.
For the new facility, because of the extreme temperatures, the cells were built on a raised concrete floor, and the walls were constructed of wire - with each block having an aisle and each cell containing a bunk.
Polinski also noted that each cell had a toilet, a sink, and an arrow painted on the wall pointing to Mecca for prayer purposes. Detainees were also issued a Curan, prayer beads and bedding.
"Our job was to make sure they were fed and had what they needed," said Polinski of the detainees.
Polinski also talked about the controversies that arose surrounding Gitmo, and the debate about Waterboarding, an interrogation tactic utilized at Gitmo.
Because Polinski was assigned to the 160th Joint Task Force, they were already gone when these techniques were being utilized at Gitmo. "Our General at that time would not have allowed that," said Polinski.
As for his thoughts on interrogation and methods, Polinski feels that it is not an actionable intelligence.
Recalling Vietnam, Polinski talked of watching as the Vietnamese interrogating their own, sometimes beating them to near death. "When a person is in enough pain, they will tell you what they think you want to hear," said Polinski. "With Waterboarding, when they get to the point where they are drowning they will say what you want."
"I watched torture in 1969," he added. "It didn't work then and it doesn't work now. All it did was hurt us on the national level."
And these comparisons, with close to 40 years in-between, affirmed for Polinski that although nothing has changed, everything has changed.
These changes, according to Polinski, relate to equipment and gear, but not the heart of those who serve.
"The military is at the cutting edge of technology today," said Polinski. "In WWII you drop hundreds of bombs to hit one building - today you can shoot one directly into a window."
What hasn't changed, Polinski emphasized, is the people. "They are smarter and more educated," he said. "But what motivates them to tie their boots and stand watch, halfway around the world and away from their families, has not changed."
Polinski continued to speak about the people who served and are serving today, and how the comradery and their dedication to duty is unwaivered.
"When the shooting starts, people don't want to let their comrades down," said Polinski. "That hasn't changed from the trenches of WWII. What made a marine a marine in 2009 is nothing different from what made a marine in 1939."
Polinski also spoke of world peace and recounted an old saying, "Pray for Peace, Train for War." He also related this peace to Veteran's Day, which will be celebrated around the nation on Wednesday. "Maybe some day we'll have Veterans Day with no veterans, and we won't have them because we'll have peace," he added.
But in the meantime back home, Polinski, who serves as the Sayre VFW Senior Vice Commander, expects that ceremonies will take place throughout the valley, with their organization joining others to conduct rifle salutes and the playing of taps at area Veteran monuments.
Polinski also spends his time with his father, 91-year old John Polinski Jr., and he talked with great honor about other veterans like 86-year old Olin C. Spencer, both from the Sayre area. These two veterans, in fact, left school before graduation to serve their country, and were honored with Sayre High School diplomas at Sayre High School's graduation exercise on June 7 of this year.
And to this day, Polinski continues to travel to the VA home in Bath, NY to pick up his father and bring him back to church at the Ascension of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church. "I do this every week without missing one," said Polinski.
And growing up around this dedication inspired Polinski's daughter, Sarah, to emphasize her patriotism. A sophomore at Sayre High School, this young student helps to support our troops in any way possible.
In addition to helping care for her grandfather, Sarah sells poppies for the VFW, participates in Kettle Drives for the Salvation Army, and recently participated in a Rusty Rail food drive.
But most importantly, Sarah recites the Pledge of Allegiance each day and means it!
"Out of all the 24-hours of the day," said Sarah, "people can spend a few seconds to honor those who serve."
Sarah also mentioned that with Veterans Day nearing, younger people need to remember those who continue to protect us. "People forget," said Sarah, "they've lost pride."