[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 237 (Monday, December 9, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 64957-64958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31424]



[[Page 64955]]

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Part III





The President





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Proclamation 6963--National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 1996
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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 237 / Monday, December 9, 1996 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 64957]]

                Proclamation 6963 of December 5, 1996

                
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 1996

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Fifty-five years ago, on a calm Hawaiian morning, 
                Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack against the 
                U.S. Armed Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, shattering 
                the peace of our land and drawing America into World 
                War II. The assault of December 7, 1941, lasted only 
                two hours, but it killed or injured almost 3,600 
                Americans, destroyed a major portion of our Nation's 
                Pacific Fleet, and damaged more than 325 aircraft, 
                severely weakening our air power.

                The attack jolted our Nation and forced us into a war 
                unlike any previous conflict, waged across the globe in 
                places most Americans had never heard of, in dense 
                jungles and on an ocean we once thought too large for 
                an enemy to cross. It was a war that would require 
                unparalleled courage and determination from soldier and 
                civilian alike, and all Americans rose to the 
                monumental challenge.

                During this time, our Nation stood united in purpose 
                and in spirit as never before. Millions of brave and 
                patriotic men and women served the Armed Forces in the 
                struggle for freedom; millions of others sacrificed on 
                the home front. On farms and in factories, mines, and 
                shipyards, Americans labored around the clock to supply 
                the food, weapons, and equipment needed to win the war. 
                In our homes, schools, and places of worship, Americans 
                from every walk of life prayed and worked together for 
                victory. And--as a powerful testament to America's 
                resilience--battleships damaged at Pearl Harbor 
                returned to service and helped break the back of the 
                Japanese fleet.

                The generation that fought World War II came home to 
                build new careers and communities and made America the 
                richest, freest nation in history. Some men and women 
                remained in uniform, safeguarding our liberties and 
                2ensuring that tyranny would never again threaten our 
                shores. In peace, this generation vowed never again to 
                be unprepared and gave our Nation the security and 
                progress that we have known and cherished for over 50 
                years.

                This is the precious legacy bestowed on us by the men 
                and women of the World War II generation. We can best 
                honor their deeds of courage and determination by 
                maintaining their vigil in defense of freedom and 
                striving, as they did, to make the world a better place 
                for all its peoples.

                As we mark the 55th anniversary of the attack on Pearl 
                Harbor, let us remember in prayer all those who died on 
                that day and throughout World War II. Let us also honor 
                all World War II veterans and their families, those who 
                lost loved ones, and those who worked on the home 
                front. Finally, let us give thanks once again for the 
                peace and freedom secured by their service and their 
                sacrifice.

                The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, has designated 
                December 7, 1996, as ``National Pearl Harbor 
                Remembrance Day.''


[[Page 64958]]



                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 
                7, 1996, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I 
                urge all Americans to observe this day with appropriate 
                programs, ceremonies, and activities in honor of the 
                Americans who served at Pearl Harbor. I also ask all 
                Federal departments and agencies, organizations, and 
                individuals to fly the flag of the United States at 
                halfstaff on this day in honor of those Americans who 
                died as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord nineteen 
                hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
                first.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 96-31424
Filed 12-6-96; 11:42 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P