National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2003

Proclamation 7692 of July 24, 2003

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2003

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

When North Korean troops invaded South Korea on June
25, 1950, the United States took immediate action to
defend the freedom of a people unjustly attacked.
Leading a coalition of 20 other countries, American and
South Korean troops fought to advance liberty and
opportunity and to overcome cruelty and repression.
More than 1.7 million Americans faced forbidding
terrain and harsh combat in battles such as Pork Chop
Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, the Pusan Perimeter, and the
Chosin Reservoir. Throughout the conflict, the members
of our Armed Forces demonstrated extraordinary honor,
skill, and courage.

The Military Armistice Agreement of July 27, 1953,
ended 3 years of bitter warfare on the Korean Peninsula
and stopped the spread of Communism in Korea, signaling
to the world America's resolve to stand against tyranny
and totalitarian regimes. Fifty years later, our Nation
remains grateful for the bravery and sacrifice of our
Korean War veterans. They defended human freedom,
liberated the oppressed, and selflessly protected the
democratic ideals that made our Nation strong. Their
efforts reflect the honorable and decent spirit of
America. More than 34,000 of America's service men and
women gave their lives in battle in the Korean War. As
we continue our fight to extend freedom today, we
remember and honor their sacrifices and those of their
families.

Thanks in large measure to the veterans of the Korean
War, South Korea today stands as a shining example of
the economic and social benefits of democracy. As we
observe the 50th anniversary of the Armistice, America
looks forward to the day when the stability of the
Korean Peninsula is built on peaceful reconciliation of
North and South. We pledge to work with the Republic of
Korea to further our shared values of democracy, human
rights, and free enterprise. And we will continue to
build upon the comprehensive and dynamic relationship
between our two nations to promote peace and prosperity
on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

The Congress, by Public Law 104-19 as amended (36
U.S.C. 127), has designated July 27, 2003, as
``National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day'' and has
authorized and requested the President to issue a
proclamation in observance of this day.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 27,
2003, as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. I
call upon all Americans to observe this day with
appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor and
give thanks to our distinguished Korean War veterans. I
also ask Federal departments and agencies and
interested groups, organizations, and individuals to
fly the flag of the United States at half-staff on July
27, 2003, in memory of the Americans who died as a
result of their service in the Korean War.

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

(Presidential Sig.)B