Veterans Day, 1997

Proclamation 7050 of November 7, 1997

Veterans day, 1997

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Americans have always looked to the future. Planning
for next week, next month, or next year, we rarely
dwell on the past, but rather look ahead to tomorrow.
But each year in November, we pause to look back, to
reflect with pride and profound gratitude on the
achievements of our Nation's veterans. The service and
sacrifice of these millions of courageous men and women
is a gleaming thread that weaves, unbroken, through the
fabric of American history.

More than two centuries ago, the framers of our
Constitution outlined in a few brief words the burden
and privilege that generations of American veterans
would willingly embrace: to ``provide for the common
defence . . . and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity . . . .'' Since the days of
the American Revolution, nearly 42 million patriots
have taken up arms to defend America and to guarantee
that the blessings of liberty are, indeed, secure. From
Lexington and Concord to Fort McHenry and San Juan
Hill, from the Argonne Forest to the shores of
Normandy, from the frozen terrain of Korea to the
jungles of Vietnam and the sands of Kuwait, America's
veterans have risked--and more than half a million have
lost--their lives to preserve our freedom and defend
our national interests.

Today, more than 25 million American veterans live
among us. They come from every walk of life and from
every ethnic, religious, and racial background. They
are our family members, friends, and neighbors, but
these seemingly ordinary citizens have accomplished
extraordinary things. They have defended our liberty
against every challenge, preserved our values, advanced
democracy across the globe, and made America the
world's best hope for freedom and lasting peace.

For these contributions, and for so much more, we owe
our veterans an enormous debt of gratitude that we can
never fully repay. To those who have completed their
service and returned to civilian life, we owe the
opportunity for a good education, a good job, and the
chance to buy a home. For those who have suffered
injury or illness in service to America, we must
provide relief, quality health care, and the
opportunity to live out their dreams. To the families
of those still missing, we owe the fullest possible
accounting and every effort to determine the fate of
their loved ones. And to those who have died for us and
for our country, whether here at home or on some
foreign battlefield, we owe our lasting respect and the
pledge to meet America's future challenges with the
same valor and generosity that infused their sacrifice.

In recognition of and gratitude for the contributions
of those who have served in our Armed Forces, the
Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November
11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public
holiday to honor America's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim Tuesday,
November 11, 1997, as Veterans Day. I urge all
Americans to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of
our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and
private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local
officials to display the flag of the United States and
to encourage and participate in patriotic activities in
their communities. I invite civic and fraternal
organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses,
unions, and the media to support this national
observance with suitable commemorative expressions and
programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and twenty-second.