General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2010

Proclamation 8582 of October 8, 2010

General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2010

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

From before our Nation's founding until today, daring
individuals have fought to defend America with
unwavering devotion. Casimir Pulaski was a Polish
patriot, yet he laid down his life in defense of
American independence during the Revolutionary War.
Each year, on October 11, Americans pause to remember
this champion of liberty who fought valiantly for the
freedom of Poland and the United States, and we proudly
reflect upon our rich Polish-American heritage.

As a young man, Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski
witnessed the occupation of Poland by foreign troops
and fought for his homeland's freedom, determined to
resist subjugation. During his subsequent exile to
France, he learned of our nascent struggle for
independence, and volunteered his service to our cause.
Pulaski arrived in America in 1777 and served in the
American Cavalry under the command of General George
Washington. Valued for his vast military experience,
General Pulaski led colonists on horseback with
admirable skill, earning a reputation as the ``father
of American Cavalry.'' Pulaski was mortally wounded
during the siege of Savannah, and he died from his
wounds on October 11, 1779.

General Pulaski's legacy survives in a long line of
proud Polish Americans, who have arrived on our shores
seeking freedom and opportunity and have served in our
Armed Forces to defend our Nation. Polish Americans
have carried with them values and traditions that have
shaped our society, and their immeasurable
contributions have strengthened our country. This proud
community has been integral to our success as a Nation,
and will play a prominent leadership role in the years
ahead.

General Pulaski wrote to our first President, ``I came
here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and
to live or die for it.'' We have never forgotten his
sacrifice for our independence or his patriotism in
defending freedom across two continents. Today, the
people of the United States and Poland are bound by our
solemn obligations to each other's security and our
shared values, including a deep and abiding commitment
to liberty, democracy, and human rights. On General
Pulaski Memorial Day, we celebrate the early beginnings
of our strong friendship, our lasting ties to the
people of Poland, and our enduring commitment to a
safer, freer, and more prosperous world.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 Monday, October 11,
2010, as General Pulaski Memorial Day. I encourage all
Americans to commemorate this occasion with appropriate
programs and activities paying tribute to Casimir
Pulaski and honoring all those who defend the freedom
of our great Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.