Skrzypczak, one of Poland’s most prominent military leaders, commanded a multinational division in Iraq two decades ago and later headed the Polish Army from 2006 to 2009.
He also served as a deputy defence minister from 2012 to 2013 and remained a widely respected commentator on defence affairs, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Officials and military leaders hailed him as a charismatic commander and strategic thinker who rose through the ranks with distinction.
‘A hero to all Poles’
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz called Skrzypczak “a hero to all Poles” during a state funeral at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Army in Warsaw.
“It is beautiful to die for your country, but it is even more beautiful to live so that others do not have to die,” he said.
President Andrzej Duda wrote in a letter that Skrzypczak "did not hesitate to make difficult and bold decisions" and earned "great respect among his men."
He described Skrzypczak as a model for other soldiers to follow.
Gen. Dariusz Łukowski, head of the president's National Security Bureau read out the message as family, friends and fellow soldiers were paying their last respects.
Field Bishop Wiesław Lechowicz said Skrzypczak was “a soldier through and through … an excellent soldier, an example to follow for all.”
“Those who knew him emphasize his humanity, his solidarity with his soldiers, and his willingness to sacrifice personal gain in the name of honor and the army,” Lechowicz said.
After the funeral Mass, a procession led by a military band carried the general’s urn to the Powązki Military Cemetery, where hundreds of mourners gathered. Polish troops fired a salute, and Fryderyk Chopin’s Funeral March was performed, state news agency PAP reported.
Born in 1956 in Szczecin, in the country's northwest, Skrzypczak graduated from the Armored Forces Officer School in Poznań and the General Staff Academy in Warsaw.
He also completed a postgraduate programme in strategic resource management in Monterey, California.
He commanded the Multinational Division Central–South in Iraq in 2005 and remained active in national defence circles after retiring from active duty.
Former Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak remembered Skrzypczak in a post on social media as “a patriot and a born commander.”
“He loved the military, and the soldiers loved him. Honor his memory!” Siemoniak wrote.
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Source: IAR, PAP, wydarzenia.interia.pl