Image: Burial of Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Maine Mast Memorial - Arlington National Cemetery US - 1941

Description: Burial of Ignacy Jan Paderewski at the USS Maine Mast Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, in the United States on July 5, 1941. In 1940, the internationally known pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski was named head of the Polish National Council, a Polish parliament in exile in London. He traveled extensively in the United States, building public support for the Polish people (who were under Nazi German rule). Paderewski fell ill on June 27, 1941, while on a speaking tour in America. The 80-year-old diplomat was diagnosed with pneumonia, and died in New York City on June 24. His body was temporarily interred in the Maine Mast Memorial on July 5, 1941, with the stipulation of the Polish National Council that they would be returned only to a free Poland. President John F. Kennedy dedicated a plaque on the interior of the memorial in May 1963, honoring Paderewski's memory. Paderewski's remains were taken back to Poland in July 1992, 51 years after his death and two years after the collapse of the Polish communist dictatorship.
Title: Burial of Ignacy Jan Paderewski - Maine Mast Memorial - Arlington National Cemetery US - 1941
Credit: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/hec2013007808/
Author: Harris & Ewing
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No