Pres. Kaczynski and his entourage were in fact enroute to Russia to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre in which thousands of Polish prisoners, primarily Polish military officers, were summarily executed by the Soviet army and secret police during World War II.

Within hours of the news of today’s tragic crash, Middle East terrorism expert Dr. Walid Phares, a Lebanese-American who is intimately familiar with resisting evil in his native Lebanon, wrote on his Facebook page that the loss of Pres. and Mrs. Kaczynski and others “only adds sadness to the mourning of the Katyn massacre.” But, he adds, “Poland's role in history goes on,” and Poland’s resistance against the Nazis as well as its opposition against the Communist dictatorship “have inspired me and many others.”

Broadcast journalist Rita Cosby, whose father Richard Cosby (Ryszard Kossobudzki) was a Polish Resistance fighter (and the subject of Rita’s soon-to-be-released book, QUIET HERO: SECRETS FROM MY FATHER'S PAST), says, “"Every U.S. citizen should stop and take pause in this moment, as the voice of one of America's strongest and unwavering allies has been tragically lost. Pres. Kaczynski was an extraordinary man with a deep appreciation of Poland's pivotal role in history and its heroic fight for freedom.”

On a personal note, she adds, “My father and I were recently in Warsaw visiting with the president and his wonderful wife, Maria, where he [Pres. Kaczynski] honored my father for his role in the Warsaw Uprising in World War II. They were incredibly gracious and kind. This is an absolutely devastating loss to his family, the country of Poland, and Polish communities everywhere, as well as freedom loving people in every corner of the world.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, says, "I think the whole world will be saddened and in sorrow.”

But Poland will go on, because frankly – as has been proven time-and-again – nothing can stop her heart from beating.