Gerald M. Kochan was born in 1956 in Lorain, Ohio. He has made a life of public service. His parents were prime examples as they served others during their lives. Gerald’s father was a soldier in World War II and his mother worked in the community. She performed many and varied charitable services. Following in his parents’ footsteps, Gerald Kochan developed a strong sense of duty and responsibility as a young man. As he grew older, he developed this sense through a series of projects that were designed to inform and educate the public. He wanted to educate people about things he thought were important, such as the history of Polish military units and historical treaties that never found their way into textbooks.