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Wladyslaw Raginis was born June 27, 1908, in Dyneburg in Latvia. Soon after graduating from a gymnasium he joined the Infantry NCO School and then Infantry Officers School. After graduating on July 15, 1930, he was assigned to the 76th Infantry Regiment stationed in Grodno, where he was a platoon commander. He was advanced to lieutenant and then to captain, and assigned to the elite Border Defence CorpsBorder Defence Corps ( Polish Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza KOP was a Polish military unit created in 1924 for defence of the eastern border against armed Soviet raids and local bandits. Although the unit was part of the Polish Army, it was commanded directly Regiment " Sarny ", where he commanded a machine gunA machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. Overview M2 machine gun surrounded by spent shell casings Unlike semi-automatic firearms, which require one trigger pull per bullet fired, a machine gun will company.
Soon before the World War IIWorld War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the world's nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. The war was fough started his unit was moved to the Wizna Fortified Area and on September 2September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years). There are 120 days remaining. Events 31 BC Roman Civil War: Battle of Actium Off the western coast of Greece, forces of Octavian defeat troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra. 1666 The Great Raginis took command over all the Polish forces in the area. On September 8September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). There are 114 days remaining. Events 1331 Stefan Dusan declares himself king of Serbia 1380 Battle of Kulikovo Russian forces under Grand Prince Dmitrii Ivanovich defeat a mixed army of Tatar his forces (numbering 720 men) were attacked by more than 40 000 German soldiers. To keep the moraleMorale measures the degree to which people hold to belief. The term applies particularly to military personnel and to members of sports teams. Since at least the time of Karl von Clausewitz' On War maintenance of morale has been considered one of the fund of his men high, captain Raginis pledged that he will not leave his post alive.
The defence of Wizna against overwhelming odds lasted for three days. On September 10September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). There are 112 days following it. Events 1608 John Smith elected council president of Jamestown, Virginia 1776 Nathan Hale volunteers to spy 1813 The U. defeats the British Fleet at the Battl, 1939, the bunker of captain Raginis was the last remaining pocket of resistance. Although heavily wounded, Raginis was still commanding his troops. At noon the German commander, Heinz Guderian, threatened the Poles that all POWs will be shot if the defence of the bunker will not end. Wladyslaw Raginis decided to end the resistance and committed suicide by throwing himself on a grenade.
His symbolic grave is located just next to the ruins of the bunker he died in. Local primary school is named after him, as well as many streets in many Polish cities. On May 13, 1970, Wladyslaw Raginis was awarded posthumously with the Virtuti Militari medal.