General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2015

Proclamation 9347 of October 9, 2015

General Pulaski Memorial Day, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Today, our Nation honors the legacy of Brigadier
General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born hero of the
American Revolutionary War who gave his life to defend
our country in its nascence. Drawn to fight by the
basic premise that people have the right to determine
their own destinies, he came here to help us shape
ours. In the struggle for independence, he stood with
the brave soldiers of the Continental Army and his
sacrifices helped lay the foundation for the strong
relationship between Poland and the United States
today.

Born into a family determined to see a free and
sovereign Poland, Pulaski demonstrated his courage and
leadership abilities from an early age. Drawing on his
experiences, he recognized the same yearning for
freedom on display across the Atlantic in the American
Revolution. Upon moving to France, he met Benjamin
Franklin--who recognized his potential and recommended
him to General George Washington, and in 1777, he
embarked on a journey to help the Colonies preserve the
same ideals of liberty and self-determination he fought
for in his homeland.

While serving, Pulaski's zeal for the American cause
impressed his fellow soldiers--including Washington,
whose life he saved. He earned the rank of Brigadier
General and an appointment to be ``Commander of the
Horse.'' The cavalry unit he formed was in many ways
reflective of our Nation today, comprised of volunteers
of many backgrounds and beliefs and united in their
faith in the unalienable rights of a free and
independent society. Fearless until his death on
October 11, 1779, Casimir Pulaski symbolizes an
enduring American truth: that we owe our independence
to brave men and women, spanning multiple generations,
devoted to a cause greater than their own.

On General Pulaski Memorial Day, we celebrate the
ideals and rights for which Pulaski fought and gave his
life. We also celebrate all Polish-Americans who
proudly preserve their culture in towns and cities
throughout our Nation, enriching our society and
contributing to our shared success. On this day, let us
recognize the strong and enduring relationship between
Poland and the United States, and let us renew our
commitment to realizing the shared vision of our
democracies: forging a world that is free and at peace.

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 October 11, 2015, 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
Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.