Michal Sokolski | polishexiles

Michal SOKOLSKI

Michal Sokolski was born near Rovne, Poland, to Russian-born parents on 25 September 1926. During World War 2, and the German/Russian occupation of Poland, Michal's home was bombed, and he lost his mother. He was sixteen and alone when he was deported to Siberia by the Soviets, as part of the Russian ethnic cleansing of Poland’s eastern borderlands.

He was taken to the railway station and loaded into cattle cars with 50-60 other people. This included infants, toddlers, children, teens, adults, and seniors. Most of the adults and seniors were women. The cattle car had two shelves at either end, where people could sit or sleep – the rest had to make do with the floor. There was a cast iron stove, but they soon ran out of wood to fuel it. There was also a hole in the floor that served as a toilet.

They travelled like this for weeks, and were given some water, stale bread, and watery soup, only a few times. When someone died, their bodies were cast out next to the tracks and left there. Many infants and elders did not survive this journey. When they reached the work camp in Siberia, they were told that this is where they would eventually die, but in the meantime, they had to work to earn their daily ration of bread. Children as young as 13 were set to work in the forests – cutting branches from the trees that had been cut down.

In June 1941, Germany turned on its ally, Russia. Stalin then quickly changed tactics and allied himself with the west so that the allies could help him defeat the Germans. This led to the signing of the Sikorski-Majewski agreement that called for the freeing of Poles imprisoned in POW camps and labour camps in the USSR, and the formation of a Polish Army in the southern USSR.

When news of this ‘amnesty’ became known, the men and boys soon made plans to make their way south to join the army. For most, this meant walking thousands of kilometres and only occasionally getting on a train for part of the journey. Michal was among those who made this journey.

Understanding the tremendous value of freedom, Michal joined the Polish 2nd Corps and served in the Middle East and in Italy. He participated in the battle of Monte Cassino as a tank driver, was wounded, and was awarded the Italy Star, and the 1939-1945 War Medal. On demobilization, he enlisted with the Polish Resettlement Corps. Due to his "very good" military record, he was selected to be a student in the British Institute of Technology in Fermo, Italy. He later emigrated to Sweden and ultimately to St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

In St. Paul, he entered Hamline University as a foreign student in 1952. He worked his way through school for five years, receiving his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. After graduation, he took a position in Hawaii and eventually came back to Minnesota, where he worked for IBM Rochester as a design engineer. From 1966 to 1969 he founded and served as President of Datronics in Rochester, which he eventually sold to the 3M Corp.

In 1972, Michal moved to Santa Ana, California, and married Joanne W. Mayo on July 2, 1972. He founded Scan-Tron where he served as Executive Vice President of Engineering. As the engineer inventor of the “multiple question #2 pencil tests” Michal revolutionized the method in which students from all over the world, contend with test taking. He also held multiple U. S. patents. Michal was listed in the "Who's Who in Finance and Industry", as well as Forbes Magazine.

Michal’s love of navigation fostered his interest in sailing. In his retirement, his love of the sea took him on 123 trips in a 25-year period. He treated the sea with such integrity, that he was made an honorary Chief of the Haida Nation, a native culture of British Columbia. He was named Kilssay (Chief) Guud (Eagle). He considered this to be a great honour and privilege.

Michal Sokolski passed away in Santa Anna, California, on 13 June 2012 at age 85. He was buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park.