; Whereas, on November 11, 1918, the Regency Council of Poland named Jozef Pilsudski the Commander in Chief of Poland and entrusted him to build a government for the newly reconstituted Poland, marking the formation of the Second Republic of Poland; Whereas heroic Polish resistance fighters and soldiers fought in World War II against tyranny on all fronts and at home only to find that liberation from the Nazis became domination by the Soviet Union; Whereas Poland’s solidarity movement headed by Lech Walesa led to the ultimate defeat of communism and the fall of the Soviet Empire, and paved the way for the blessings of liberty for millions of Europeans; Whereas Poland joined the community of democracies and availed itself of democratic principles by acceding to the NATO alliance in 1999 and the European Union in 2004; and Whereas up to 10 million Polish-Americans continue to make remarkable and valued contributions to the Nation, including serving in political leadership, fighting for liberty in the armed forces, building America’s future in factories, and leading in creative and economic innovation: Now, therefore, be it