General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2025

Proclamation 10981 of October 10, 2025

General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2025

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In 1777, a young nobleman from Poland ventured across
the Atlantic to join the fight for American
independence. Known as the ``Soldier of Liberty'' and
the ``Father of the American Cavalry,'' the legendary
Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski offered his talents
to a Nation in revolution, devoting his life to
freedom. Today, we honor his legacy, we salute his
courage, and we pledge to advance the great purpose he
fought, bled, and died for 246 years ago.

General Pulaski's resolve had been hardened long before
he set foot on American soil. In his native Poland, he
had fought for independence against the Russian Empire,
learning firsthand that freedom demands sacrifice. When
Benjamin Franklin urged him to aid the American
Revolution, Pulaski did not hesitate. Writing to
General George Washington, he declared: ``I came here,
where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to
live or die for it.''

True to his words, Pulaski began to equip and train the
Patriots for battle, oftentimes at his own personal
expense. During his first engagement at the Battle of
Brandywine, he led a bold cavalry maneuver that saved
the life of General Washington and countless soldiers
in the Continental Army during one of its darkest
hours. Without Pulaski's incredible courage, the dream
of American independence might have ended before it
truly began.

Pulaski was later elevated to Brigadier General and
forged a cavalry corps whose discipline, speed, and
bravery played a key role in the fight for American
independence. On October 9, 1779, more than 4 years
into the Revolutionary War, Pulaski once again rode
into the storm, leading his men against the might of
the British Empire at the Siege of Savannah. He was
struck down in the fire of battle and succumbed to his
wounds--dying just as he had promised, in defense of
the sacred cause of freedom.

His sacrifice is one of the bonds that forever links
Poland and the United States. Our two nations have
stood together across centuries and continents: on the
battlefields of Europe, in the skies of the Second
World War, and in the long twilight struggle of the
Cold War--always united in freedom, human dignity, the
rule of law, sovereign borders, national independence,
and the enduring belief that tyranny is no match for
the full force of liberty. Today, millions of Polish-
Americans continue to carry forward General Pulaski's
legacy of patriotism.

As our Nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of
independence, we remember General Pulaski and all those
who dared to stake their lives on the American promise.
Their courage gave life to this Republic, and their
sacrifice calls for our undying gratitude. The legacy
of these Patriots reminds us still that freedom can
never be taken for granted, and it is only earned,
defended, and preserved by those bold enough to fight
for it.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim October 11, 2025,

as General Pulaski Memorial Day. I encourage all
Americans to commemorate on this occasion those who
have contributed to the furthering of our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.