PRIVATE WOJTEK, HEROIC BROWN BEAR OF WWII
Many brave soldiers answered the call to bear arms during WWII, but one Polish artillery supply company took things a step further and armed a bear. That’s right — among the countless animal heroes of WWII was a full-grown brown bear from the mountains of Northern Iran named Wojtek. Wojtek first joined the Polish soldiers as a cub. A young Iranian boy found him after a hunter most likely shot his mother. Then, when a group of Polish prisoners of war, recently released from Soviet gulags to join the Allied forces, passed through the town where the boy and the bear cub lived, they traded some of their rations for the cub and took him with them. The soldiers loved the cub and named him Wojtek, which means “happy warrior” in Polish. They nursed him with condensed milk from a vodka bottle and fed him some of their limited rations. Over time, the bear grew to be 6 feet tall and over 400 pounds, but because he had grown up around humans, he was a gentle giant. He learned several mannerisms from his human friends and even took a liking to beer and cigarettes. For the many soldiers who had lost or were separated from their families, Wojtek was a welcome boost to morale. When the soldiers reached the coast of Egypt, where they were to embark by boat to Italy, British soldiers wouldn’t let Wojtek on board because he wasn’t a soldier. So naturally, the Polish soldiers gave Wojtek a service number, and he officially became a private in their company, complete with a rank and a paybook.
Private Wojtek’s moment of fame came when his company fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino. The bear saw his human counterparts carrying
crates of artillery shells, and he began mirroring their actions. Throughout the entire battle, he calmly carried crates of ammo, which would have required four men to lift, to his comrades. In honor of Wojtek’s service during the battle, the company changed its emblem to an image of a bear carrying an artillery shell, and Wojtek was promoted to the rank of corporal. After the war, Wojtek was moved to a zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lived until he was 21 years old. There is now a bronze statue of Wojtek in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, ensuring that this brave bear will not be forgotten.
TRY THESE ACTIVITIES TO KEEP THEM SOCIAL WORRIED ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN’S SOCIAL LIFE?
DANCE TOGETHER. Free apps like GoNoodle have 3–5-minute dance routines that your kids can share with their friends! Dancing over Zoom or Skype works perfectly too. JOIN AN ART CLASS. If your kids and their friends are especially creative, why not sign them up for an art class? Not only is it a wonderful bonding experience, but they can also develop their artistic skills. HAVE ONE-ON-ONE TIME WITH EACH OF YOUR CHILDREN. Isolating together provides a chance for family members to connect. These relationships help children find “support [for] their social-emotional development and strengthen their social-emotional skills,” says Melissa Brymer, director of the Terrorism and Disaster Program at UCLA-Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress in Los Angeles. Social skills are useful for your children’s entire lives. Adults can play a big role in supporting their children while keeping an open conversation about their social and emotional needs. Whether school is starting up for your little ones or if their education is being put on hold a little longer, we wish you and your family the best of luck!
Have your children remained social during the lockdown or have they been more closed off lately? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has acknowledged that, while it’s important to keep your family safe from COVID-19, social distancing can be stressful for children. Not all
children respond to stress in the same way, but common behavioral changes include
worrying excessively or feeling sad, unhealthy eating or sleeping habits, and having trouble focusing or paying attention. They might even lose interest in socializing, so here are some ideas for getting them excited again. SET UP SAFE GET-TOGETHERS. Walking, hiking, playing soccer, and other outdoor activities with friends are often a lot more fun than going it alone, even as a kid. These activities are perfectly safe from a distance — just make sure your kids disinfect their hands in case of contact.
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