Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2003

Proclamation 7684 of June 6, 2003

Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2003

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Each year, we set aside June 14 to commemorate the day
in 1777 when the Continental Congress adopted the Stars
and Stripes as the official flag of our Republic. With
this act, the Congress declared that we were one
Nation, under one flag, united for the cause of liberty
and justice for all.

As a symbol of our patriotism, the American flag
continues to invoke pride and resolve among our people,
especially when we see it next to a headstone, on the
masts of our military ships, worn by the generations of
Americans who have proudly served our country, or
emerging from the wreckage caused by a natural or
manmade disaster. Flying over public buildings,
monuments, schools, and homes, our flag is testament to
the ideals of American democracy.

Through the years, millions of immigrants have come to
our shores seeking to share in the promise of freedom
represented by our flag. From war-torn Europe, to the
mountains of Afghanistan, to the deserts of Iraq, the
flag and those who carry it are universally recognized
as harbingers of liberation, justice, and peace.
Regardless of circumstance, our flag endures as a sign
of hope.

On Flag Day, we look to the red, white, and blue as a
symbol of our commitment to advancing the universal
hope of liberty and justice for all. Old Glory abounds
in the landscape of our daily lives, reminding us of
the freedom we share. The 50 stars and 13 stripes are
not just a random pattern, they symbolize the blessings
of liberty we enjoy as Americans.

To commemorate the adoption of our flag, the Congress,
by joint resolution approved August 3, 1949, as amended
(63 Stat. 492), designated June 14 of each year as
``Flag Day'' and requested that the President issue an
annual proclamation calling for its observance and for
the display of the Flag of the United States on all
Federal Government buildings. The Congress also
requested, by joint resolution approved June 9, 1966,
as amended (80 Stat. 194), that the President issue
annually a proclamation designating the week in which
June 14 occurs as ``National Flag Week'' and calling
upon all citizens of the United States to display the
flag during that week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim June 14,
2003, as Flag Day and the week beginning June 8, 2003,
as National Flag Week. I direct the appropriate
officials to display the flag on all Federal Government
buildings during that week, and I urge all Americans to
observe Flag Day and National Flag Week by flying the
Stars and Stripes from their homes and other suitable
places. I also call upon the people of the United
States to observe with pride and all due ceremony those
days from Flag Day through Independence Day, also set
aside by the Congress (89 Stat. 211), as a time to
honor America, to celebrate our heritage in public
gatherings and activities, and to publicly recite the
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States
of America.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand
three, and of the Independence of the United States of
America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.

(Presidential Sig.)B