National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2015

Proclamation 9303 of July 24, 2015

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2015

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Throughout history, the United States has stood as a
powerful force for freedom and democracy around the
world. In the face of tyranny and oppression,
generations of patriots have fought to secure peace and
prosperity far from home. And in 1950, as Communist
armies crossed the 38th parallel just 5 years after the
end of World War II, courageous Americans deployed
overseas once again to stand with a people they had
never met in defense of a cause in which they both
believed. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice
Day, we honor all those who sacrificed for freedom's
cause throughout 3 long years of war, and we reaffirm
our commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea
and the values that unite our nations.

Often outnumbered and outgunned, nearly 1.8 million
Americans fought through searing heat and piercing cold
to roll back the tide of Communism. The members of our
Armed Forces endured some of the most brutal combat in
modern history; many experienced unimaginable torment
in POW camps, and nearly 37,000 gave their last full
measure of devotion. Their sacrifice pushed invading
armies back across the line they had dared to cross and
secured a hard-earned victory.

The Korean War reminds us that when we send our troops
into battle, they deserve the support and gratitude of
the American people--especially once they come home. We
must make it our mission to serve all our veterans as
well as they have served us, always giving them the
respect, care, and opportunities they have earned. And
we will never stop working to fulfill our obligations
to our fallen heroes and their families. To this day,
more than 7,800 Americans are still missing from the
Korean War, and the United States will not rest until
we give these families a full accounting of their loved
ones.

Today, the Republic of Korea enjoys a thriving
democracy and a bustling economy, and the legacy of our
Korean War veterans continues on in the 50 million
South Koreans who live with liberty and opportunity.
The United States is proud to stand with our partner in
Asian security and stability, and our commitment to our
friend and ally will never waver--a promise embodied by
our servicemen and women who fought from the Chosin
Reservoir to Heartbreak Ridge and Pork Chop Hill, and
by every American since who has stood sentinel on
freedom's frontier.

No war should ever be forgotten, and no veteran should
ever be overlooked. Today, on the anniversary of the
Military Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War,
let us remember how liberty held its ground in the face
of tyranny and how free peoples refused to yield. And
most of all, let us give thanks to all those whose
service and sacrifice helped to secure the blessings of
freedom.

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 July 27, 2015, as
National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. I call upon
all Americans to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities that honor our distinguished
Korean War veterans.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord two
thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.