[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 29321-29322]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11939]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 2014 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 29321]]


                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.

[[Page 29322]]

                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.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2014-11939
Filed 5-20-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F4