[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 48933-48934]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24904]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 180 / Wednesday, September 17, 1997 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 48933]]


                Proclamation 7021 of September 15, 1997

                
50th Anniversary of the National Security Act of 
                1947

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                The United States emerged from the crucible of World 
                War II to face a political and military landscape 
                changed forever by the events of that conflict. The 
                Soviet Union, a vital ally during the war, was fast 
                becoming an actively hostile and dangerous opponent. 
                And, as the most economically and militarily powerful 
                nation on earth, the United States bore the awesome 
                responsibility of preventing the onset of another and 
                even more destructive world war.

                Recognizing these harsh new realities, and wise in the 
                hard lessons of recent history, President Truman and 
                America's other civilian and military leaders 
                determined to create the structures and programs that 
                would guarantee our national security and promote 
                lasting world peace. The result of their efforts was 
                the National Security Act of 1947. This single historic 
                piece of legislation created four extraordinary 
                institutions that continue to serve America superbly a 
                half-century later: the Department of Defense, the 
                United States Air Force, the Central Intelligence 
                Agency, and the National Security Council.

                The complex task of coordinating the operations of 
                ground, sea, and air forces during World War II 
                demonstrated the need for unified direction of 
                America's Armed Forces in the postwar world. The 
                National Security Act answered that need by 
                establishing the Department of Defense. Under the 
                civilian control of the Secretary of Defense, and 
                fortified by the collective experience, knowledge, and 
                strategic guidance of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the 
                three military departments within the Department of 
                Defense--the Army, Navy, and Air Force--began to work 
                together as a powerful team to integrate the operation 
                and administration of all our Nation's Armed Forces.

                Today, the Department of Defense has realized in large 
                measure the objectives stated in the National Security 
                Act. The Armed Forces and the unified commands have 
                achieved a remarkable degree of integration in 
                organization and operations and remain the best-
                trained, best-equipped, and best-prepared fighting 
                force in the world. Our men and women in uniform stand 
                ready to preserve America's freedom and protect our 
                national interests whenever and wherever they are 
                threatened.

                The Second World War also proved the critical 
                importance of air power to the defense of our Nation. 
                With the creation of the United States Air Force as an 
                independent armed service within the Department of 
                Defense, the National Security Act helped to ensure 
                America's mastery of the skies. In the subsequent 50 
                years, the courage and dedication of the men and women 
                of the United States Air Force have been a constant 
                source of pride and reassurance to the American people.

                With equal devotion, the men and women of the Central 
                Intelligence Agency have enabled America to meet the 
                challenges of global leadership for the past half-
                century. Providing ten Presidents and their 
                administrations with the strategic intelligence to make 
                informed decisions vital to the security of our Nation, 
                these dedicated public servants helped America to fight 
                and win the Cold War. Today, in a world no longer 
                burdened by superpower confrontation, they remain 
                vigilant in the face of more diffuse and complex

[[Page 48934]]

                dangers: from aggression by rogue states and terrorism 
                to the spread of weapons of mass destruction and 
                international drug trafficking.

                In creating the National Security Council, the National 
                Security Act of 1947 provided the President with an 
                invaluable forum for the consideration and coordination 
                of domestic, foreign, and military policies related to 
                America's security. Supporting the President, his 
                Cabinet, and his other close advisors with sound 
                judgment, analysis, and advice, the men and women of 
                the National Security Council can reflect with pride on 
                five decades of unparalleled service to our Nation. 
                Through the East-West confrontations of the Cold War to 
                the threshold of the 21st century, the National 
                Security Council has played a vital role in protecting 
                our Nation's security and in preparing us for the 
                challenges of the future.

                As we observe the 50th anniversary of the National 
                Security Act of 1947, we pay tribute to the vision and 
                determination of a generation of American civilian and 
                military leaders. Working together, they established 
                the remarkable institutions we celebrate this week; 
                institutions that have helped to secure the peace and 
                prosperity that America enjoys today. The success of 
                their efforts and of the historic legislation enacted 
                half a century ago is reflected in an outstanding 
                record of achievement: nuclear war averted, the Cold 
                War won, and the nations of the world turning to 
                democracy and free markets.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 
                14 through September 20, 1997, as a time to commemorate 
                the 50th Anniversary of the National Security Act of 
                1947. I call upon all Americans to observe this 
                anniversary with appropriate programs and activities 
                celebrating the accomplishments of this legislation and 
                honoring the service and sacrifice of the thousands of 
                dedicated Americans who have strived to carry out its 
                mandate for the past five decades.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord 
                nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the 
                Independence of the United States of America the two 
                hundred and twenty-second.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 97-24904
Filed 9-16-97; 9:04 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P