President Trump honours Polish American hero Kazimierz Pułaski
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
11.10.2017 15:30
US President Donald Trump has lauded Polish 18th-century general Kazimierz Pułaski, who is also recognised as a national hero in America, where he is known as Casimir Pulaski.
US President Donald Trump. Photo: EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS
In a proclamation for General Pulaski Memorial Day, which is observed in the United States on October 11, Trump said that Pulaski's "heroic contributions to the American Revolutionary War helped shape our Nation’s history."
He also said that Pulaski "demonstrated bravery as a soldier and exceptional leadership as a military officer."
The proclamation says that “General Pulaski is internationally renowned for having supported and fought for independence and freedom, both in his native Poland and in the United States … Exiled from his country after a failed uprising against Russian control of Poland, the Marquis de Lafayette and Benjamin Franklin recruited General Pulaski to join the fight for freedom in the American Revolution. During his first military engagement with the British, at the Battle of Brandywine, General Pulaski led a courageous charge that averted a defeat of the American cavalry, saving the life of General George Washington and earning him the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Continental Army.”
The presidential proclamation recalls that General Pulaski was severely wounded in the Battle of Savannah and died shortly thereafter “paying the ultimate sacrifice for his adopted American compatriots.” It also says that “in recognition of his selfless devotion to our country and its cause, the Congress, in 2009, granted honorary citizenship to General Pulaski, one of only eight people ever to have earned this distinction. He is an example for all those who love freedom and seek the courage to defend it.”
In closing, President Trump’s proclamation speaks of 9.5 million Americans of Polish descent. “They carry forward General Pulaski’s legacy by protecting our shared values, strengthening our cultural heritage, and serving in our Armed Forces. They remind us that the story of Poland, like the story of America, is of a people who have never lost hope, have never been broken, and have never forgotten who they are.”
Pulaski was 34 when he died on board a ship between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. He became known as the "Father of the American Cavalry." (mk/gs)