Senate votes for citizenship to Pulaski

WASHINGTON - A little more than 230 years after his death, Casimir Pulaski is just a signature away from being a citizen of the nation for which he gave his life.

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved Thursday a resolution proclaiming Pulaski an honorary citizen of the United States. The legislation passed the House of Representatives earlier this month and will now go to President Obama for his signature.

Pulaski is a Polish military officer who became a hero in fighting on the side of America during the Revolutionary War.

"Casimir Pulaski made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of American freedom," Sen. Dick Durbin, a Springfield Democrat, said in a statement. "When we think of our nation's struggle for freedom in its infancy, we must remember General Casimir Pulaski and his indelible contribution to our nation's birth."

A federal holiday, "General Pulaski Memorial Day," commemorates Pulaski's death at the Siege of Savannah on Oct. 11, 1779.

A "Casimir Pulaski Day" is observed as a state holiday in Illinois on the first Monday of March to celebrate the General's birthday.

Illinois has the second largest Polish community in the United States after New York.