National Days of Prayer and Remembrance, 2024

Proclamation 10803 of September 5, 2024

National Days of Prayer and Remembrance, 2024

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Twenty-three years ago--on September 11, 2001--2,977
precious lives were ripped from us in an evil attack on
our Nation. During these solemn days, we renew our
sacred vow: Never Forget. Never forget the loved ones
we lost. Never forget the first responders who ran
toward the rubble to save others. Never forget the
hundreds of thousands of patriots who signed up to
serve in the years after. And never forget that, when
an enemy tried to tear us apart, our country came
together. We stood united.

While every year we mark this hallowed day, it is never
easier. To all those who are grieving a lost child,
parent, spouse, sibling, friend, or coworker--and to
all those who still bear the wounds from that September
morning--I know how hard this time can be. It can
reopen that black hole in your chest, bringing you back
to the moment you saw the news or the moment you got
the phone call. Today and every day, the First Lady and
I are holding you close to our hearts.

We are also thinking of all the families of Americans
who showed extraordinary bravery, selflessness, and
sacrifice that day. They are the firefighters, police
officers, and first responders who ran into the inferno
of jet fuel and debris at Ground Zero and refused to
stop searching for months. They are the civilians and
service members at the Pentagon who rushed into the
fiery breach to rescue their colleagues. They are the
passengers of Flight 93, who confronted terror with
absolute courage. They are the heroes who signed up to
serve and defend our homeland from future attacks. And
they include every American--from communities across
our country--who stepped up and stood together.

Today--as we remember all those we lost on that searing
September day 23 years ago--let us renew our faith in
one another. Let us continue to seek light, even in the
darkest of hours. And drawing from their example, let
us resolve to continue building a Nation that stands as
a beacon of liberty and justice for all. That is the
truest memorial to their lives--our actions, every day,
to ensure that our democracy endures, that our freedom
endures, and that the very soul of our Nation endures.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 6,
2024, through September 8, 2024, as National Days of
Prayer and Remembrance. I ask that the people of the
United States honor the victims of September 11, 2001,
and their loved ones with prayer, contemplation,
memorial services and visits, bells, candlelight
vigils, and other activities. I invite people around
the world to join. I call on the citizens of our Nation
to give thanks for our many freedoms and blessings, and
I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for
God's continued guidance, mercy, and protection.

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