Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2004

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Part VI

The President

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Proclamation 7796--Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2004

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 7796 of June 12, 2004

Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2004

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

For more than 200 years, the American flag has served
as a symbol of our country's enduring freedom and
unity. Old Glory has welcomed generations of immigrants
to America's shores and is displayed proudly on homes,
at schools, and over businesses across our country.
During times of war, our flag has rallied our citizens
to defend the blessings of liberty at home and abroad.
It has accompanied our troops into battle and been
given to grieving families at the grave sites of fallen
heroes. Today, as our brave men and women in uniform
fight terrorism and advance freedom, the flag inspires
patriotism and pride across our Nation and around the
world.

Each year on June 14, we honor the American flag and
recall the adoption of our first official national flag
by the Continental Congress in 1777. The first Flag Day
observances began quietly in the 19th century as State
and local celebrations recognizing the anniversary of
the Stars and Stripes. Inspired by these patriotic
gatherings, President Woodrow Wilson established the
first national observance by proclamation in 1916. 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,
2004, as Flag Day and the week beginning June 13, 2004,
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
twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand four, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.

(Presidential Sig.)B