Survey #40: Wladyslaw "walter" kwiatkowski

Survey # 40: |Vladyslav Fyatkowski

World War II

His Story

Vladyslav Fyatkowski was just sixteen years old when German forces entered his village in Poland during World War II. According to his daughter, the young men were presented with a choice: join the German army or face a firing squad. Vladyslav chose to live.

When he returned home wearing a German uniform, his parents rejected him. He never saw them again.

Eventually captured by Soviet forces, Vladyslav endured starvation and brutal treatment in a prisoner-of-war camp. His daughter recalled that he lost several teeth after being struck with a rifle butt for stealing a mouthful of milk.

He later joined Polish forces serving alongside the British Army and fought against Germany. His daughter recounted his memories of the fierce fighting at Monte Cassino, where he witnessed the deaths of many fellow soldiers.

After the war, while stationed on the Isle of Wight, Vladyslav met Bernadette Kelly, a young Irish woman. They married just six weeks later and remained together for 52 years.

The couple eventually immigrated to the United States, settling in Detroit. Both worked at Fisher Body Fleetwood, helping manufacture Cadillacs. Through decades of work, they raised their children and fulfilled their dream of building a home.

Although Vladyslav rarely spoke about the horrors he witnessed, the war remained with him throughout his life.

When his grandson once asked how many people he had killed during the war, Vladyslav answered:

“I never want to know.”

He explained that he had fired his weapon but had never deliberately aimed at another person.

His story is one of survival, displacement, love, and the extraordinary determination to build a peaceful life after experiencing war.