Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2011

Vol. 76

Wednesday,

No. 115

June 15, 2011

Part II

The President

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Proclamation 8689--Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2011

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Title 3--
The President

Proclamation 8689 of June 10, 2011

Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2011

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On June 14, 1777, the Second Constitutional Congress
adopted a flag with thirteen stripes and thirteen stars
to represent our Nation, one star for each of our
founding colonies. The stars were set upon a blue
field, in the words of the Congress's resolution,
``representing a new constellation'' in the night sky.
What was then a fledgling democracy has flourished and
expanded, as we constantly strive toward a more perfect
Union.

Through the successes and struggles we have faced, the
American flag has been ever present. It has flown on
our ships and military bases around the world as we
continue to defend liberty and democracy abroad. It has
been raised in yards and on porches across America on
days of celebration, and as a sign of our shared
heritage. And it is lowered on days of remembrance to
honor fallen service members and public servants; or
when tragedy strikes and we join together in mourning.
Our flag is the mark of one country, one people,
uniting under one banner.

When the American flag soars, so too does our Nation
and the ideals it stands for. We remain committed to
defending the liberties and freedoms it represents, and
we give special thanks to the members of the Armed
Forces who wear our flag proudly. On Flag Day, and
during National Flag Week, we celebrate the powerful
beacon of hope that our flag has become for us all, and
for people around the world.

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 annually
issue a proclamation designating the week in which June
14 occurs as ``National Flag Week'' and call upon
citizens of the United States to display the flag
during that week.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim June 14,
2011, as Flag Day and the week beginning June 12, 2011,
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 displaying
the flag. 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
tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand
eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of
America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.