[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 40 (Monday, October 10, 1994)]
[Page 1957]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6732--General Pulaski Memorial Day, 1994

October 5, 1994

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]

Note: This proclamation will be published in the Federal Register on 
October 11.