[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 13, 2010)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 63037-63038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25968]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 13, 2010 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 63037]]


                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.

[[Page 63038]]

                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.
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                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2010-25968
Filed 10-12-10; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P