Lech Walesa's Service in the Polish Army:

A real Soldier's Story...

Pages 183-184 of the same book as we've cited below.

"So it was that, on March 10, 1981, at the government's headquarters in Warsaw, in a room adjacent to the premier's office, I found myself, to my surprise, face to face with Colonel Wladyslaw Iwaniec, who had been my commanding officer during my military service.

"I was stationed in a big barracks in Koszalin, where at least a dozen units had been garrisoned.

"One of my unit, a corporal like myself, called Jurek, had come back from patrol blind drunk.

"He was a powerful man -- he carried a punch that would fell an ox -- and on this occasion he was also armed with a machine gun.

"[S]o the officer commanding our platoon asked me if I could deal with him.

"I said that I would on condition that he wasn't sentenced; they could lock him up at the barracks but there was to be no question of a court martial.

"I went out to Jurek, who was standing in the middle of the parade ground facing a great crowd of soldiers.

"As soon as anyone moved a bit too much for his liking, he swung around with his gun -- it was loaded with live rounds ( a normal thing for a soldier going on patrol ).

"[I] persuaded him very gently to give up his weapon and let me put him to bed. He gave in.

"Apart from this incident, there's nothing much to tell about my life in uniform.

"I had the good luck to get leave after winning the prize for target shooting.

"A little later, I was sent to NCO school at Swiecie, and after nine months I returned to my unit, where I was given a squad.

"I didn't mind the discipline and I didn't have any trouble from my men.

"I managed to get further with them through good humor and jokes than others did through shouting.

"I taught Morse code to the soldiers in the company and ran courses in electricity and radio navigation.

"I remember our general giving me my corporal's stripes.

"He took a good look at me, then he said:

I can see old Pilsudski was down your way.

"I already had a mustache and must have looked rather like him -- or so I thought."