Bill Text: VA HJR64 | 2018 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: General Thaddeus Kosciuszko Day; designating as October 15, 2018, & each succeeding year thereafter.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2018-03-05 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ64ER) [HJR64 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2018-HJR64-Prefiled.html
WHEREAS, in June 1776, 30-year-old Polish-Lithuanian military architect and engineer Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventure Kosciuszko voluntarily sailed for America to risk his life for the freedom of the people of the United States of America, and he is renowned as a hero of the Revolutionary War for his military leadership and work to support the war effort; and
WHEREAS, during the Revolutionary War, General Kosciuszko personally oversaw the construction of defensive works crucial to the United States' decisive victory at the Battles of Saratoga; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko constructed the defensive positions at West Point, New York, and he is credited with establishing its reputation as a key American fortification along the Hudson River; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko's engineering works, including a string of armories across the former colonies, were recognized by Major General Nathanael Greene as a deciding factor in the outcome of numerous engagements against the British forces in the southern theater of the Revolutionary War; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko, by an act of the Continental Congress, in recognition for his services to the cause of American independence, was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in 1783; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko carried the principles of individual liberty and freedom back to Poland, where he supported the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, which was modeled after the Constitution of the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko demonstrated a firm commitment to universal human rights throughout his life, including the abolition of slavery in America and the liberation of peasant serfs he inherited from his family in Poland; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko stipulated in his will that his American estates were to be sold to buy the freedom of African American slaves and provide for their education; he conferred the responsibility of executing this will upon his personal friend, Thomas Jefferson; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko's record on the field of battle is in keeping with the highest traditions of military service in both the United States and Poland, and his actions reflected favorably upon both nations; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko's enduring legacy highlights the strong bond and rich history shared between the Commonwealth and the people of Poland; and
WHEREAS, General Kosciuszko gave aid to the United States of America and her people in their time of need and is now and forever a symbol of freedom in both the United States and Poland; and
WHEREAS, October 15, 2017, marked the 200th anniversary of General Kosciuszko's death; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate October 15, in 2018 and in each succeeding year, as General Thaddeus Kosciuszko Day in Virginia; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to Piotr Wilczek, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States, so that the Republic of Poland may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it
RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly's website.
