NY Polish American Congress Hails Pulaski Cadets of America

Brooklyn, N.Y. … Among the organizations the Downstate New York Division of the Polish American Congress will be honoring at its 2012 Awards Banquet this October is one with ties to America’s War of Independence and, specifically, to Casimir Pulaski, the Polish officer who volunteered his services to Gen. George Washington 235 years ago.

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Known today as “Polish Militia 1833” or simply “Pulaski Cadets,” the current organization is a successor of the Pulaski Legion, a special unit the Continental Congress permitted Poland’s Gen. Pulaski to personally select and train. It became an integral part of Washington’s army and completely revised the way the American army employed its cavalry in its battles with the British. The success of Gen. Pulaski’s strategy in using Washington’s horse soldiers as an essential adjunct to the Colonial infantry earned Poland’s Pulaski the title of “Father of the American Cavalry.” Fifty years after the death of Gen. Pulaski and the birth of the United States of America, descendants of the members who comprised the original Pulaski Legion resolved to continue and preserve its legacy by forming a successor organization bearing that name.

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Gen. Pulaski is frequently referred to as “one of those foreigners” like Lafayette, von Steuben and his fellow Pole, Kosciuszko who also fought for America’s freedom in the Revolutionary War. But he was more than just “one of those foreigners,” according to Pulaski Cadets Company Commander Jaroslaw Wojno. “Unlike the others, Pulaski did not survive the American Revolution. He was killed in action in the Battle of Savannah and made the supreme sacrifice for our country’s freedom. He deserves a special place in the hearts of every American,” he said. More and more these days, the Pulaski Cadets are participating as honor guards in the patriotic commemorations that are prevalent in the Polish American community. This was primarily the domain of Poland’s World War II veterans who had emigrated to the United States in the post-war period. Now that time has taken its toll and most of these veterans have passed on, organizations like the Pulaski Cadets and the Sea League of America (Liga Morska) are assuming the honor guard function. Wearing their elegant and unique American Army uniforms that date back to the early 19th Century, they frequently stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the members of the Sea League distinguished by their traditional naval uniforms as they jointly participate in the patriotic observances. The Polish American Congress Awards Banquet will be held at Greenpoint’s Polonaise Terrace on Sunday, October 14th, starting at 4:00 p.m .

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