[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2545]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING GENERAL CASIMIR PULASKI

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRIAN HIGGINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 2, 2006

  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor I recognize General 
Casimir Pulaski, a living legend who became known as the ``Father of 
the American Cavalry'' after leaving his native land Poland to defend 
this great country during the Revolutionary War.
  A bold and dedicated soldier, Pulaski defined his selfless loyalty in 
a letter to George Washington in which he stated, ``I came here, where 
freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it.''
  In February of 1778, with Washington's endorsement, Pulaski submitted 
his plan to Congress and with their authorization he formed the 
Independent Corps later known as the Pulaski Legion.
  During the siege of Savannah in 1779, General Pulaski paid the 
ultimate sacrifice and was mortally wounded; leaving a legacy of 
heroism that continues to inspire people around the world.
  In 1910, by an order of Congress, a statue of Gen. Pulaski was 
erected at Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th Street in Washington, DC, 
paying tribute to this great hero.
  My hometown of Buffalo, New York, is one of a handful of communities 
which have also recognized Pulaski's contributions with a statue. 
Monuments can also be found in Hartford, Connecticut; Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania; Savannah, Georgia; and Czestochowa and Warka Poland.
  On Friday, March 3, 2006, I will have the privilege to join community 
leaders and friends from the western New York General Pulaski 
Association in celebrating the legacy of General Pulaski in a wreath 
laying tradition at the Pulaski statue which first began in the 1930s.
  Mr. Speaker, we in western New York have the great privilege of 
having a strong and vibrant Polish American community. Thank you for 
allowing me to recognize the contributions of General Pulaski, a man 
who has served as a patriot to not one, but two great nations.

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