Today is Pulaski Day in Illinois, and since so few people out of (and in) Chicago know who Casimir Pulaski was, I’ve decided to educate the masses. Pulaski was a Revolutionary War hero from Poland who trained US military soldiers and cavalry. Today commemorates his birth on March 4, 1747. He commanded troops under George Washington and took part in the sieges of Charleston and Savannah, where he died in 1779. Pulaski was made an honorary US citizen posthumously, and a statue of him is erected at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC.
The story goes, though I’ve never seen it substantiated in print, that Pulaski Day was a trade-off by the Polish-dominated city council for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. To get MLK observed, the city also took off a day for Casimir. Whether the story is true or not, I thank thee, Casimir Pulaski, for this lovely three-day weekend.
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