by Edward Pinkowski

The Pinkowskis aren’t the only people excited about the lives the memory of General Casimir Pulaski touched on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. You couldn’t escape the presence of singers in a meeting room filled to capacity of the Rayburn House Building on the 263rd anniversary of Pulaski’s birthday.

As American and Polish flags stood on the sides of the podium, four women formed an impromptu choir in a corner, without a band to help them, and led the audience in singing the American and Polish national anthems. Never before, in the history of the federal government, were the two anthems sung like that.

If the Polish hero of the American Revolution were living today, he would have to thank the ingenuity of the Polish women and the National Polish Center for the ceremonies in his honor.

The singers who made history on March 6, which is still not listed in all references as the anniversary of Pulaski’s birth in Warsaw, Poland, were Mary Ann Evan, once upon a time, in the days of Dr. Kaya Ploss, a hostess and valuable assistant at the National Polish Center; Debbie Majka, Past President of the American Council of Polish Culture and now President of the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia; Teresa Wojcik, President of the Philadelphia chapter of the Kosciuszko Foundation; and Dr. Monika Krol, Executive Director of the National Polish Center.

PULASKI AWARD

The ceremonies drew the attention of several members of Congress, including Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and Daniel Lipinski of Illinois; the Polish Legion of American Veterans and the Pulaski Cadets. Monsignor Philip S. Majka, Catholic Chaplain at Dulles Airport, read the opening prayer.

The master of ceremonies, Professor Jack Pinkowski, welcomed everybody and recognized the heads of many Polish societies, who came from near and far, and read letters supporting legislation to make Pulaski an honorary citizen of the United States. He took time, while waiting for Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur to arrive, to talk about Pulaski and quote from his writings.

Representative Kaptur handed out the Pulaski Achievement Award to Dr. Charles F. Merbs, professor emeritus of Arizona State University, in recognition of his study which proved that General Pulaski’s remains were laid at rest in Savannah, Georgia, and not at sea.

Last year, the honorable congresswoman from Toledo, Ohio, gave a plaque, then known as the Marcy Kaptur Award, to Dr. James Metts, coroner of Savannah, Georgia, and chairman of the Pulaski Identification Team, for the support he gave to forensic scientists in the search for DNA evidence.

In addition, the recipient received an honorarium of $1,000. "These awards go to individuals and organizations that have done outstanding work in preserving the legacy of General Pulaski," said Dr. Pinkowski. "This is just our way to show how much we appreciate the work they do to preserve our roots in America."

Dr. Merbs traveled from Temple, Arizona, where he lives with his wife of many years, to speak to a small group in Washington about Pulaski’s remains and receive the award. He noted the wear and tear of the bones of a horseback fighter and how everything matched with physical findings and records.

Merbs was a professor at Arizona State University in the spring of 1996 when his daughter, Heather, called him from Savannah, Georgia, to mention the discovery of human bones under the Pulaski Monument. Shortly after, in December, he went to Savannah with his wife, and together with five members of the Pinkowski family, saw the forgotten bones of General Pulaski. Not since 1853 had anyone else outside of Georgia seen them. They were hidden in a brick vault that Savannah had forgotten about since 1852. "I never dreamed," Dr. Merbs said, "that we would learn as much about Pulaski as we did. It changed everything previously written about him."

The Merbs and Pinkowski families were unable to talk about what they saw in a Georgia morgue until Dr. Metts issued his report. Professor Merbs was glad that he went to Savannah to work on the case. He will never forget it.

PULASKI BUST

Joe Davis, director of Public Affairs at the Washington office of VFW, delivered the keynote address and read a letter from George Lisicki, commander of the 2.3 million members of the VFW in support of the House resolution which will make Pulaski in death an honorary citizen of the United States.

Alexander Koproski and his wife, Patricia, received awards in recognition of their devotion to the National Polish Center over many years. They turned the offices they held to younger hands but remained as board directors.

In just two years, the National Polish Center has found enough partners in the Pulaski tribute on Capitol Hill to make it harder and harder to accommodate them in laying wreaths at the bust of Pulaski. The space around the sculpture in the Senate Vestibule is very tight.

Owing to new security regulations, which require a senator’s intern, page, or guide to accompany each group, no more than 15 persons at a time, through the Senate wing, each group took turns.

It meant that most of the March 6th celebrators soon lost touch with one another. Until the senators find a larger place where the Pulaski bust can be moved, the piecemeal method of wreath laying will remain.

The last time the Pulaski bust was moved to a more prominent spot in the Senate Vestibule was 1972, when Senators Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie used their influence to change the location.

[It is expected that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will soon approve Edward Pinkowski’s application for a historical marker in Philadelphia where Henry Dmochowski carved the Pulaski bust.]