[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 218 (Thursday, November 12, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 63121-63122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30451]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 218 / Thursday, November 12, 1998 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 63121]]

                Proclamation 7146 of November 9, 1998

                
Veterans Day, 1998

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                This year on Veterans Day, we celebrate the 80th 
                anniversary of the armistice that finally silenced the 
                guns of World War I. Millions of brave Americans 
                marched into Europe and into the brutality of trench 
                warfare to fight that war. Although President Woodrow 
                Wilson recognized that ``it is a fearful thing to lead 
                this great peaceful people into war,'' he also realized 
                that it was important to do so ``for the things which 
                we have always carried nearest our hearts--for 
                democracy, for the right of those who submit to 
                authority to have a voice in their own Governments . . 
                . .'' The veterans of the First World War accepted this 
                burden and privilege, which American men and women in 
                uniform have borne throughout the decades and still 
                bear today.

                At Cantigny, St. Mihiel, Chateau-Thierry, Belleau Wood, 
                and the Meuse-Argonne, American soldiers withstood the 
                onslaughts of the enemy and, with extraordinary valor 
                and unbending determination, turned the tide of battle 
                and won a signal victory for democracy. Our Nation has 
                been truly blessed by the service of these veterans who 
                set an extraordinary example of courage and devotion to 
                country that inspired the generations of Americans who 
                followed them into the Armed Forces.

                Through two world wars, through long and costly 
                struggles against aggression in Korea and Vietnam, 
                through conflict in the Persian Gulf, and in numerous 
                peacekeeping and humanitarian missions, America's 
                veterans have risked their lives and spilled their 
                blood to keep faith with our Nation's fundamental 
                values of freedom, democracy, and human dignity. We owe 
                an enormous debt of gratitude to these patriots, whose 
                service and sacrifice have allowed us to raise our 
                children in a country blessed with peace and prosperity 
                and to shape a brighter future for nations around the 
                world.

                In grateful recognition of the contributions of those 
                who have served in our Armed Forces, the Congress has 
                provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each 
                year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to 
                honor America's veterans. On Veterans Day, we honor all 
                those who have served in our Armed Forces, and we 
                remember with deep respect those who paid the ultimate 
                price for our freedom. America's veterans have answered 
                the highest calling of citizenship, and they continue 
                to inspire us with the depth of their patriotism and 
                the generosity of their service.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, 
                November 11, 1998, as Veterans Day. I urge all 
                Americans to acknowledge the courage and sacrifice of 
                our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and 
                private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local 
                officials to display the flag of the United States and 
                to encourage and participate in patriotic activities in 
                their communities. I invite civic and fraternal 
                organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, 
                unions, and the media to support this national 
                observance with suitable commemorative expressions and 
                programs.

[[Page 63122]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen 
                hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of 
                the United States of America the two hundred and 
                twenty-third.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 98-30451
Filed 11-10-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P