Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day, 2016

Proclamation 9502 of September 23, 2016

Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Since our Nation's founding, in peace and in war, the
values that define our brave men and women in uniform
have remained constant: honor, courage, and
selflessness. From the deafening sounds of combat to
the silence of the sacred hills at Arlington, we
remember the countless sacrifices our service members
make to preserve the freedoms we too often take for
granted. No one understands the true price of these
freedoms like our Gold Star families, whose humility,
even in times of grief, represents the best of our
country. Today, we recognize their sacrifices by
listening to their stories, sharing in their pain and
pride, and pledging to do all we can to honor them and
the loved ones they hold close in their hearts.

Through unspeakable sorrow, our Gold Star families
suffer from loss that can never be restored--pain that
can never truly be healed. It is because of their
selfless character and unfailing grace that Americans
can come home each day, gather with family and friends,
and live in peace and security. And though the debt our
fallen soldiers and their families pay is one we can
never fully pay back, we must continue to support our
veterans when they come home and stand by our military
families who endure unthinkable loss. We must maintain
the sacred covenant we share with our veterans by
ensuring they have the care and benefits they deserve,
and as citizens, we must all work to lift each other up
in a manner that is worthy of those who laid down their
lives to protect the land and freedoms we cherish.

Less than one percent of our Nation wear the uniform,
but all of us have an obligation to acknowledge the
losses endured by Gold Star Mothers and Families and to
fill the painful absence of their loved ones with our
profound gratitude. We must strive to support these
families--not just with words, but with actions--by
being there every day for the parents, spouses, and
children who feel the weight of their loss. On this day
of remembrance, may we carry forward the work of those
who gave their last full measure of devotion and vow to
keep their memories burning bright in our hearts. And
may we lift up their families, who have steadfastly
supported their mission through immeasurable
heartbreak, by remaining a Nation worthy of their
sacrifice.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June
23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1985 as amended), has designated the
last Sunday in September as ``Gold Star Mother's Day.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim September 25, 2016,
as Gold Star Mother's and Family's Day. I call upon all
Government officials to display the flag of the United
States over Government buildings on this special day. I
also encourage the American people to display the flag
and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression
of our Nation's gratitude and respect for our Gold Star
Mothers and Families.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord
two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
first.