Less than 24 hours after learning that Quiet Hero: Secrets from My Father’s Past, the heart-wrenching story of an American journalist and her relationship with her Polish resistance-fighter father,  had earned a spot on both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, the Polish government has issued a public statement of gratitude.

The statement recognizes author Rita Cosby, an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist, her father Richard Cosby, the subject of the book, and the thousands of Polish fighters who died defending their country during World War II and who are now honored by the book and its international acclaim.

The statement reads:

“The enormous success of Quiet Hero marks a historic moment for the entire Polish community, giving voice and honor to all of young Richard Cosby’s friends and the two hundred thousand who perished in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. It has been decades since a book about this defining piece of World War II history has achieved such prominence both for its writer and our citizenry. We are tremendously proud of Rita Cosby and her father Richard who as a brave Resistance fighter was unwavering in the battle against sheer evil and steadfast in his devotion to his country.

“For this, Poland is forever grateful.”

The statement is signed, “Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in New York.”

The elder Cosby, who has received several awards, including recognition from retired Marine Maj. Gen. James E. Livingston, a Medal of Honor recipient, since the book was published in 2010, has expressed his own gratitude.

“Being reunited with my daughter through this book has been one of the greatest gifts of my life,” said the 85-year-old freedom fighter. “To have my journey from the rubble of Warsaw to truly living the American dream memorialized in this fashion, is a tremendous and humbling honor not just for me but for my fellow fighters and for those brave U.S. troops who ultimately saved my life.”

His daughter Rita said, “To have a bestselling book about my father and his courageous comrades is deeply meaningful and a tribute to all the quiet heroes who continue to fight for freedom around the world.”

Quiet Hero, released in hardback, May 2010, is now available in paperback at quiethero.org.

W. Thomas Smith Jr., the book’s military technical advisor/editor, interviewed Cosby about Quiet Hero last year.