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Although Lidia and Jakub's grandfather Zdzisław was born after World War II, he knows a lot about it from stories, particularly those from his village, Płąchawy, where people gathered in the evenings to talk about the war. His grandfather was in the Border Protection Corps (KOP), a military unit defending Poland's border with the Soviet Union. In September 1939, the Russians attacked, outnumbering the Polish forces. The commander surrendered, but a major led an attack, and many soldiers died. His father survived by tripping and hiding in a barn for three days before being escorted to an armament bunker. A Ukrainian man helped him walk, and they found shelter in a house where his father received food. Later, during the war, his grandmother sold land to help his mother travel to the front to see his father. Despite the dangers, his father repeatedly warned her not to come, as it was too risky.