We Were the Lucky Ones

Private Wojtek, the only official four-legged member of Anders’s Army, is a bear. He was discovered in Iran as an orphaned cub. Wojtek, Polish for ‘smiling warrior,’ is now the unofficial mascot for the Polish II Corps. He’s travelled with the army from Iran, through Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt, and finally to Italy. Along the way, he’s learnt to haul ammunition and to salute when greeted; he enjoys a good boxing match, and he nods in approval when rewarded with a bottle of beer or a cigarette, both of which he eagerly devours. Understandably so, Wojtek is easily the most popular member of the Polish II Corps.

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