Alternatively known as ‘the Soldier of Liberty’ and ‘the Father of the American Cavalry’, Pulaski fought with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and is credited with saving the life of George Washington.
In a lengthy statement issued by the White House, Biden wrote: “Today, we pay tribute to General Casimir Pulaski, a Polish immigrant who served alongside American soldiers in the Revolutionary War and made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation.”
Biden also poured praise on the Polish Americans who had given so much to America and the wider world: “And we honor the culture and contributions of all our Nation’s Polish Americans who follow his legacy, standing up for the cause of freedom at home and around the world,” he added.
Continuing, Biden credited Polish immigrants for helping drive America forward: “General Pulaski’s story and service are just one example of how much Polish Americans have shaped our Nation’s history and our future. Our country’s Polish American communities have helped create new possibilities for all of us—leading in every sector, powering our economy, and enriching our culture.”
Touching on Poland’s critical support of Ukraine, Biden noted: “Since Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, the people of Poland have courageously stood up for freedom, liberty, and justice, rallying around the Ukrainian people and offering them safety and light in their darkest moments.”
This unequivocal backing, wrote Biden, exemplified the Polish spirit: “No one knows better than the people of Poland that, in moments of great upheaval and uncertainty, what you stand for is important and who you stand with makes all the difference.”
Drawing parallels between Pulaski’s values and Poland’s own moral codes, Biden finished with a flourish: “Today, we celebrate General Casimir Pulaski, who decided to stand with our Nation to fight for our freedoms. And we honor all the Polish Americans, who continue to push our Nation forward and fight for a future based on our most fundamental values: dignity, liberty, and opportunity.”
Who was General Pulaski?
Born in Warsaw in 1745, Pulaski was christened Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski, a name that would be later Anglicized when he went into exile.
The son of Polish nobility, he embarked on a military career in 1762 and six years later served as one of the commanders of the Bar Confederation, an association of Polish and Lithuanian aristocrats who launched an uprising to curtail Russia’s influence over the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.
Enjoying a reputation as a free-thinking, loose cannon, his heart often ruled his head. The historian and diarist Jędrzej Kitowicz described him as: “short and thin, pacing and speaking quickly, and uninterested in women or drinking.”
Instead, he devoted his energies to battle: “He enjoyed fighting against the Russians above everything else and was daring to the extent that he forgot about his safety in battles, resulting in his many failures on the battlefield,” added Kitowicz.
Despite these defeats, Pulaski was known as an adroit commander who masterminded such triumphs as the successful defense of Jasna Góra.
Even so, he enjoyed a distant and even fractious relationship with other commanders, and when Poland was partitioned in 1772, he fled westward, stripped of all titles after being implicated in a plot to kidnap Poland’s King Stanisław August Poniatowski (who had supported Russia’s suppression of the Bar Confederation).
In and out of French prison for debt, Pulaski’s life had seemingly hit rock bottom. This, though, would change when he met Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman fighting for George Washington’s Continental Army.
Pulaski needed little convincing to join the American cause, and Benjamin Franklin personally wrote to George Washington to recommend his recruitment: “Count Pulaski of Poland, an officer famous throughout Europe for his bravery and conduct in defense of the liberties of his country against the three great invading powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia... may be highly useful to our service,” wrote Franklin.
In actuality, he would prove more than just “highly useful.” Landing in America in June,1777, his knowledge of lightning guerilla tactics was invaluable, and he was even credited with saving the life of George Washington after a bold cavalry charge secured the safe retreat of the man that would become America’s first president.
Hailed for reforming the cavalry, Pulaski led his unit on a string of victorious campaigns. His bravery, however, was his downfall. Leading a charge against the British in Savannah, he was fatally wounded by grapeshot and passed away two days later on board a brig called the Wasp.
His heroism has never been forgotten. In 1929, Congress passed a resolution honoring October 11, the date of his death, as General Pulaski Memorial Day. This is just one of many honors bestowed upon him.
Celebrated via numerous parades and the subject of several statues and street names, Pulaski was made an honorary American citizen in 2009 by Barack Obama.
That he remains relevant to this day has not been lost on Joe Biden: “General Pulaski dedicated his life to the pursuit of liberty—not just for himself or his country but for all of us.” To all intents and purposes, he remains the ultimate freedom fighter.
