Bachmann Honors Fallen Polish Leaders [AUDIO]

ST. CLOUD -- Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is shedding light on a plane crash that killed over 90 leaders of the Polish government three years ago.

Bachmann submitted a statement to the Congressional Record honoring the fallen officials last week.

Although the crash happened half a world away, Bachmann's gesture is not going unnoticed by those in the Polish community here in Central Minnesota.

Piotr Przytula is a professor of Mass Communication at St. Cloud State University and a native of Poland. He says Bachmann's statement shows an appreciation for one of America's strongest allies.

"Americans appreciate our country's alliance with this great nation in the ongoing fight for freedom across the world," said Bachmann. "We stand in solidarity with the people of Poland and mourn the loss of their President and countrymen."

The recognition is earning the congresswoman a comparison to another famous Republican leader.

Przytula says Bachmann's comments are comparable to former President Ronald Reagan's 1981 New Year's Eve address, which focused on freedom from communism in the Eastern European country.

Przytula says he is very thankful for the statement and believes it will bring the respect of Poles, both here in Minnesota and back home (Poland).

A total of 96  people were killed in the crash - including President Lech Kaczynski. The plane was en route to a ceremony commemorating over 4,400 Polish military officers who were murdered in the Katyn Forest by the Soviet Union in 1943, when it went down.

The cause of the crash is still being debated to this day. In 2010, Representative Peter King of New York introduced a House Resolution, calling for an international investigation into the incident.