[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 13, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 67533-67534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27630]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 219 / Tuesday, November 13, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 67533]]

                Proclamation 8902 of November 7, 2012

                
Veterans Day, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Whether they fought in Salerno or Samarra, Heartbreak 
                Ridge or Helmand, Khe Sanh or the Korengal, our 
                veterans are part of an unbroken chain of men and women 
                who have served our country with honor and distinction. 
                On Veterans Day, we show them our deepest thanks. Their 
                sacrifices have helped secure more than two centuries 
                of American progress, and their legacy affirms that no 
                matter what confronts us or what trials we face, there 
                is no challenge we cannot overcome, and our best days 
                are still ahead.

                This year, we marked the 200th anniversary of the War 
                of 1812. We began to commemorate the 50th anniversary 
                of the Vietnam War. We welcomed our veterans back home 
                from Iraq, and we continued to wind down operations in 
                Afghanistan. These milestones remind us that, though 
                much has changed since Americans first took up arms to 
                advance freedom's cause, the spirit that moved our 
                forebears is the same spirit that has defined each 
                generation of our service members. Our men and women in 
                uniform have taught us about strength, duty, devotion, 
                resolve--cornerstones of a commitment to protect and 
                defend that has kept our country safe for over 200 
                years. In war and in peace, their service has been 
                selfless and their accomplishments have been 
                extraordinary.

                Even after our veterans take off the uniform, they 
                never stop serving. Many apply the skills and 
                experience they developed on the battlefield to a life 
                of service here at home. They take on roles in their 
                communities as doctors and police officers, engineers 
                and entrepreneurs, mothers and fathers. As a grateful 
                Nation, it is our task to make that transition 
                possible--to ensure our returning heroes can share in 
                the opportunities they have given so much to defend. 
                The freedoms we cherish endure because of their service 
                and sacrifice, and our country must strive to honor our 
                veterans by fulfilling our responsibilities to them and 
                upholding the sacred trust we share with all who have 
                served.

                On days like this, we are called to reflect on 
                immeasurable burdens that have been borne by so few. We 
                pay tribute to our wounded, our missing, our fallen, 
                and their families--men and women who have known the 
                true costs of conflict and deserve our deepest respect, 
                now and forever. We also remember that our commitments 
                to those who have served are commitments we must honor 
                not only on Veterans Day, but every day. As we do so, 
                let us reaffirm our promise that when our troops finish 
                their tours of duty, they come home to an America that 
                gives them the benefits they have earned, the care they 
                deserve, and the fullest opportunity to keep their 
                families strong and our country moving forward.

                With respect for and in recognition of the 
                contributions our service members have made to the 
                cause of peace and freedom around the world, 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 our Nation's veterans.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 
                11, 2012, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to 
                recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans

[[Page 67534]]

                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 participate in patriotic activities in their 
                communities. I call on all Americans, including civic 
                and fraternal organizations, places of worship, 
                schools, and communities to support this day with 
                commemorative expressions and programs.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-27630
Filed 11-9-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F3