Gerald Kochan, Director of the Polish American Museum in Port Washington, NY, was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit.

PORT WASHINGTON, NY, USA, December 12, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On September 19, 2016 Ambassador Boguslaw Winid, the Permanent Representative of Poland to the UN in New York, presented Colonel (ret.) Gerald Kochan with the Gold Cross of Merit on behalf of the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda.

"Having done in this important work, along with the many others who played a role, has been privilege in and of itself. To have received this distinction from President Duda and Ambassador Winid is an honor I'm grateful and humbled to have received," said Kochan.

Kochan currently holds the position of Director of the Polish American Museum based in Port Washington, NY on Long Island. Under his guidance, the museum has assembled a collection of significant historical Polish and Polish-American artifacts and has bolstered education by engaged key scholars and important political figures to present at the museum. The museum is home of much of the Center for Military Studies collection, an organization founded by Kochan in 1992.

A retired American Army Officer, Gerald Kochan's work began in 1991 while serving as an American Army officer in the Gulf War when he helped the Polish deployed forces and bridge the constraints of language and differences in doctrine during a time when the Poles were beginning to reintegrate with Western Europe.

His work on behalf of the Poles immediately postwar was focused on their admittance into NATO. One of the key requirements was to show the historical connection of Poland to the West. To help illustrate the Polish war effort, he organized several museum expositions and wrote and produced the documentary film, "White Eagle in Borrowed Skies, the History of the Polish Air Force during World War II." An upcoming documentary on the Polish Airborne during Operation Market Garden written and produced by Kochan is slated for release in March 2017.

In addition to the Gold Cross of Merit, Kochan also holds a Polish Airborne Diving Eagle,and is one of the first Americans to earn the coveted award since WW2. Previous to the Polish award, Mr. Kochan received many other US military medals among them the Bronze Star Medal for merit and leadership under combat conditions.

For more information about the Gold Cross of Merit and the awards ceremony, visit: http://bit.ly/2gDHgYR.

About the Polish American Museum

Founded in 1977, The Polish American Museum is a unique educational resource that exists to bring the culture and folk heritage of the Polish people to others. The Museum contains documents, artifacts, paintings, displays and exhibits that illustrate the important achievements by people of Polish heritage, highlighting their contributions to the fields of medicine, education, art, science, and political theory. For more information, visit: http://polishamericanmuseum.com/

Mr. Mateusz Sakowicz
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