Drago Dzieran: From Communist Prison to Navy SEAL | Stories of Us | PragerU

I was sentenced to 3 years in prison on Russian border where socialist state kept political prisoners. In a strange way, it was actually a remarkable experience for me. My name is Drago Giran and this is my story. I was born in 1960 in Poland which was at the time socialist totalitarian terror state. My father he was a communist and he was starting his career in communist party and Polish government. My father had access to stores that the regular citizens did not have it because he was a communist party member to the food that other people did not have it and also to the system worked in his favor. We knew that father can fix anything. If I did something wrong and there was accident that actually I burn neighbors wheield because we were playing with fire right in the middle of it. But because my father was communist, he was able to intimidate uh that neighbor, the farmer, and uh we basically got away with everything. My mom on the other side, she was a Christian. So the socialist state and communists were not supportive of faith and my father was afraid that he can lose his job and standing within communist party if he allows us to go to church if he allows our family to continue uh with our faith in God. My father left when I was 7 years old. And I remember the drastic change. If my mom did not go and stay in line at 4:00 in the morning and get the bread, we didn't have a bread. We no longer lived comfortable lives. And being poor at school, you know, this is something that nobody wanted to advertise in Poland being poor. Most of the kids in the school were poor except those whose parents were set up with the government and party members. When my father left, I was being bullied. I had sometimes kids following me after school and kicking my butt. So, I figured out how to defend myself. I learned that violence always works. If violence did not work for you, it means you did not apply enough of it. That's just how it was. And I was a product of my society. We did not embrace communism in my family because my mom, she was actually instrumental in pointing out the the depravity and perversion of socialist system. For example, the free flow of information. This is very dangerous concept for socialists and communists because who controls information controls people's minds and they did not want to lose that control and they were losing that control and this is why they were so adamant about the censorship about people who were outspoken. If they could not be censored they were put in prison and removed from the society. John Paul II, the first Polish Pope, came to visit Poland. But when watching TV, the fake news media, the socialist states, fake news media were showing maybe two, three people, maybe 10, 15 people showing up for Pope's meetings, for Pope's speeches. But that was not true. There were hundreds of thousands people. It was being censored. So when people seen it in person, they started raising questions and realized that that they are not alone. Eventually they built the first organization that was independent from communist party. Uh it was uh called solidarity. It turned into the big social movement in Poland that communist could not control. My mom was part of it. I was part of the solidarity. And when communists started losing control, they knew that they'd have to do something drastic. The communist government imposed martial law. The secret police, the military started raiding homes and arresting people, sometimes entire families. We started publishing lists of people that were abducted by communist government and eventually they arrested us. I was sentenced to 3 years in prison in 1982. Eventually I was sent to prison on Russian border where socialist state kept political prisoners. The system was very brutal and beatings were normal. I was sitting in prison with professors, engineers, scientists, physicists. I met so many people in a strange way. It was actually a remarkable experience for me in prison. I was soaking that information. So people, historians who talk about history, the real history, how it was, not the fake history that socialist they tried to present and taught us in schools. Before the end of my prison time, the Pope John Paul II came to visit Poland second time. Before his visit, he demanded that communists enact amnesty for political prisoners. They started releasing us, but most of us were put on the government parties watch list. And there were people that were disappeared. There were people that were killed. They wanted us to leave Poland. I had some scary situations and it was clear that they were coming after me. So of course uh when I decide to leave I went to US embassy. I was given a permit to settle in the United States. I was given a status of political refugee. I was sick and tired being called in Poland. So when they asked me I said I want to go to the hottest place you have in America. So if possible. So I said what do you think about Memphis? I say Memphis, I don't know where it is, but I know that Elvis Presley is from Memphis. So, but is it hot? They say, "Yes, it's very hot." Say, "Sign me up. I'm going there." When I landed in America, I had those five phoenix. There was It's like less than 5 cents a coin and a bag of clothes. Yeah. My first job in America was being a janitor and I used the time to learn English. I didn't have a money or uh time to go to school. I had to work. Please remember I would not succeed in my American dream if not American people. Every step from me landing on US soil, I was assisted. I was helped by American people, good people. I took the American citizen exam and I passed and I remember the ceremony in May 1991. I was sworn as an American citizen. That was the I think the best thing that happened to me in my entire life. As my English improved also my job improved and eventually I'll get the job as a mechanic in Memphis and eventually Mercedes came to me and asked if I want to work for them. I was living my full American dream and a lot of time on my hand. So I figured out well why don't I try skydiving. So I jumped once I fell in love with it. Then I met Navy Seals actually they came to Memphis to do some demonstrational jumps. So they show up at our drops and to we start doing jumps together. When the first Gulf War started I say okay America is in war. I'm going to war. So I went to sign up for the army and so they started processing my paperwork but my skydiving seal friends convinced me to join the navy instead. The recruiter asked me what I want to do in the Navy. They say I guess I want to be a Navy Seal. Ooh Navy Seal. I told them why I want to serve in America in the US forces that I am American. This is my country. I want to serve. I passed Buds which is SEAL training at the age of 32 which is pretty unique as great uh accomplishment to become a Navy Seal. Not only the camaraderie but the skills but also the respect and also the belonging you as a single person you you cannot really accomplish a lot. The teamwork does most of the time it is life and death situation. So it is important that you know your job that you know what you do and that you are a team player. There is no I in SE teams and that's I think the one of the biggest lessons I learned from SE teams. I was proud to be part of it for 20 years. I'm better with bullets than with words. I'm more proficient with guns than with speaking. So even today I don't have challenges like with my wife. She asked me if I had some favorite dessert. I say yeah I would like to eat Kimberly. And she looked at me and say who is Kimberly? And she was mad. I'm like who is Kimberly? What is Kimberly? That you know the dessert we had like two days ago we had. She's like you mean creme brulee? Say yeah just say that. No, you didn't. You said you didn't say that. So, I still have a challenges with English and still having it today. >> Is there something you love most about America? >> Yes. Everything. I love America. I can be whoever I want to be. Nothing holding me back. I can live my life as a software engineer today after retirement from SEAL teams and nothing is stopping me. Nobody's telling me what to do. Nobody's threatening me with prison today. My chance to live as a free man is possible because of the ideals the founding father fought for and that have been carried forward to this day by American people. The free society that American people built, it doesn't happen anywhere else in the world. America is the best country in the world. Even if some people may see some flaws, you cannot find better country for humanity. There is no hyphen in front of this American. I am not something hyphen American. I am an American. America gave me home when I lost my America gave me country when I didn't have one. And America gave me shelter when I needed. So for that I will be always grateful to America and American people. Thank you for watching this video. Uh please consider donating to Prageru. Thank you.