Proclamation 5228 -- Fortieth Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising
August 17, 1984
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Forty years ago, one of the most heroic battles of World War II, the Warsaw Uprising, occurred. Polish resistance to aggression throughout World War II had been courageous and uncompromising. As the Nazi forces retreated before advancing Soviet armies, the Polish Home Army that led the resistance seized its chance to throw off the Nazi yoke. For sixty-three days, the people of Warsaw fought against insurmountable odds, endured unimaginable suffering, and made countless sacrifices to regain their independence. Nevertheless, the lightly-armed resistance fighters were overwhelmed by the full weight of Hitler's war machine. The Nazis mercilessly crushed the uprising while Soviet forces passively looked on from across the Vistula River. Warsaw lay in rubble. Two hundred-fifty thousand Poles were killed, wounded, or missing. Yet the victims of the Warsaw Uprising did not die in vain.
The example of those who fought for freedom during the Warsaw Uprising is a stirring chapter in history, as vivid today as it was then. The ongoing struggle of the faithful, the shipyard workers of Gdansk, the miners of Silesia, and farmers throughout the countryside is but a continuation of the proud history of the Polish quest for freedom.
It is right that we pay tribute to those who sacrificed all for independence and freedom. All of us who share their passion for freedom owe the heroic people of Warsaw and all of the valiant people of Poland a profound debt.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 272, has resolved that the United States should join in recognizing the Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim August 1, 1984, as the Fortieth Anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:33 p.m., August 17, 1984]
Proclamation 5229 -- Polish American Heritage Month, 1984
August 17, 1984
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The United States is a country in which people of many different heritages are bound together by a common dedication to democratic principles. The mosaic of ethnic diversity invigorates our culture and strengthens our society. For this reason, the Polish American Congress and other Polish American clubs and organizations across the country are celebrating August 1984 as Polish American Heritage Month.
The millions of Americans who trace their ancestry to Poland have made vast contributions to our Nation. Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski crossed the ocean to help the American colonies win their independence. Throughout the last two centuries, thousands of Polish Americans have fought bravely to help preserve that independence. Polish Americans have also made outstanding contributions in the arts, the sciences, and in industry and agriculture. Through these efforts they have helped in innumerable ways to establish a strong and free United States.
Americans of Polish descent take great pride in and honor two great world leaders who have their roots in Poland. Both Pope John Paul II and Lech Walesa, the Nobel Peace Laureate and founder of the Solidarity Labor Federation, have gained the world's respect and admiration. Solidarity has been continuing the Polish people's struggle for freedom since its founding in August 1980.
The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 577, has designated August 1984 as ``Polish American Heritage Month'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this occasion.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim August 1984 as Polish American Heritage Month, and I urge all Americans to celebrate this month with appropriate observances.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:34 p.m., August 17, 1984]