Proclamation 6732

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

October 11 marks the anniversary of the death of a true hero of humanity. General Casimir Pulaski fought for the cause of freedom on two continents, determined to realize the ideal of self-determination for every individual. Each year, Americans pause to honor this man, whose life and death represent a commitment to democracy that holds an invaluable lesson for all of us.

The proud history of Poland contains chapter upon chapter reflecting the virtues of courage, honor, and sacrifice. Pulaski, a loyal son of Poland, wrote a glorious page in that lengthy book. His life is a testament to humanity's inextinguishable desire for liberty and to our willingness to sacrifice all to defend, or to recapture, that sacred blessing. His death reminds us that the cost of liberty is often high. Pulaski well understood that price and was willing to pay it if only for the chance of extending to all people the noble mandates of democracy and human dignity.

As a freedom fighter in Poland, Pulaski's dedication to the pursuit of liberty led him to defend the rights of the embattled American colonists in our Nation's War of Independence. Combining his military expertise, his undying thirst for justice, and his indomitable courage, Pulaski served with extraordinary valor in the cavalry of the Continental Army. And 215 years ago, during the siege of Savannah, General Pulaski gave his life so that our country might prevail in its quest for nationhood.

Thanks to the selflessness and strength of men and women who, like General Pulaski, refused to let seemingly hopeless odds deter them in their struggle for freedom, we celebrate the possibilities for peace in a hopeful new era of social change.

The ideals for which Pulaski fought and died are sweeping the globe. Poland itself is free, at peace, and increasingly prosperous. Thanks in no small measure to the efforts of General Pulaski's modern-day compatriots, Europe is united in liberty, and the light of democracy shines brightly around the world.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, 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 Tuesday, October 11, 1994, as General Pulaski Memorial Day, and I encourage the people of the United States to commemorate this occasion with appropriate programs and activities.

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

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 3:33 p.m., October 6, 1994]