Proclamation 6486—General Pulaski Memorial Day, 1992

Each October 11, when our Nation honors the memory of General Casimir Pulaski, the great Revolutionary War hero who died on this date in 1779, we also celebrate the deep and abiding friendship that exists between the Polish and American peoples. That friendship has been rooted in a shared love of liberty and democratic government, and as we proudly reflect on the past, we also look forward to continuing cooperation between our two countries in this new, post-Cold War era.

Before he came to the United States more than 200 years ago, Casimir Pulaski had fought in the struggle to free his native Polad from foreign domination and repressive rule. By the time the young Count was forced into exile, he was, ass Benjamin Franklin noted, "famous throughout Europe for his bravery and conduct in the defense of the libeties of his country." Although Count Pulaski would not live to see the liberation of his beloved homeland, no amount of adversity could deter him from a cause as universally important as that of freedom. This skilled horseman and fighter thus adopted our ancestors' struggle as his own, volunteering for service in the Continental Army, where he was named a General and eventually granted command of his own cavalry unit.

General Pulaski and his troops fought with great tenacity in a number of major campaigns, including at Brandywine and Trenton. Impressed by Pulaski's fearlessness and persistence, General George Washington later wrote to the Congress that "the Count's valor and active zeal on all occasions have done him great honor."

It was such zeal for the cause of liberty that insprired General Pulaski to lead a bold yet dangerous charge during the seige of Savannah on October 9, 1779. He was mortally wounded in the attempt and died 2 days later.

General Pulaski and other martyrs in America's War for Independence did not die in vain, however, and today we know that their hard-won victory helped to ignite the continuing expansion of freedom around the globe. On this occasion we remember, especially, the generations of courageous Poles who have shared in the epic struggle for linberty and self-determination. From our own Savannah, Georgia, to places such as Westerplatte, the Katyn Forest, and the Gdansk shipyards, brave Poles have made heroic, and sometimes costly, stands for freedom. Their courage and resolve should remain an inspiration to us all.

Having triumphed over decades of communist rule, not with musket and bayonet, but with voices and votes, petitions and prayers, the people of a free and independent Poland are now working to complete the challenging transition to democracy and to a thriving, market-oriented economy. The United States is proud to cooperate in this effort through a wide range of trade, investment, and technical assistance programs, including the Polish-American Enterprise Fund.

Americans of Polish ancestry continue to play an important role in promoting stgronger political, cultural, and economic ties between the United States and Poland, and as we join these citizens in remembering General Casimir Pulaski, we also give thanks for the contributions that they are making to our common future.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 11, 1992, as General Pulaski Memorial Day. I direct the appropriate government officials to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on that day, and I invite all Americans to observe the occasion with appropriate programs and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eight day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundren and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth.

GEORGE BUSH