Armed Forces Day, 2014

Proclamation 9129 of May 16, 2014

Armed Forces Day, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In every generation, there are men and women who stand
apart. They put on the uniform and put their lives on
the line so the rest of us might live in a safer,
freer, more just world. They defend us in times of
peace, times of war, and times of crisis, both natural
and man-made. On Armed Forces Day, we honor the
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen
who render the highest service any American can offer.

The patriots who stand sentry for our security are a
proud link in an unbroken chain that stretches through
the centuries. This generation has distinguished itself
on mission after mission, tour after tour. Because of
their heroism, the core of al-Qaeda is severely
degraded and our homeland is more secure. Thanks to
their extraordinary sacrifice, we are winding down more
than a decade of war and strengthening alliances that
extend our values. These are the gifts they have given
us, and this is why we owe them a profound debt of
gratitude.

It is our obligation to ensure our troops have all they
need to complete their missions abroad, but we must
also support them when they return home. We must care
for the families who serve alongside them and fulfill
our promises today, tomorrow, and forever. And we must
demonstrate our thanks by building a Nation worthy of
their sacrifices, a Nation that lives up to our
founding ideals and allows every citizen to write their
chapter of the American story.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, and Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces of the United States, continuing the
precedent of my predecessors in office, do hereby
proclaim the third Saturday of each May as Armed Forces
Day.

I direct the Secretary of Defense on behalf of the
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and the
Secretary of Homeland Security on behalf of the Coast
Guard, to plan for appropriate observances each year,
with the Secretary of Defense responsible for
encouraging the participation and cooperation of civil
authorities and private citizens.

I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico, and other areas subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States, to provide for the
observance of Armed Forces Day within their
jurisdiction each year in an appropriate manner
designed to increase public understanding and
appreciation of the Armed Forces of the United States.
I also invite veterans, civic leaders, and
organizations to join in the observance of Armed Forces
Day.

Finally, I call upon all Americans to display the flag
of the United States at their homes on Armed Forces
Day, and I urge citizens to learn more about military
service by attending and participating in the local
observances of the day. I also encourage Americans to
volunteer at organizations that provide support to our
troops and their families.

Proclamation 8984 of May 17, 2013, is hereby
superseded.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.