[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 67657-67658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26779]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 238 / Wednesday, December 11, 2019 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 67657]]

                Proclamation 9971 of December 6, 2019

                
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2019

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Seventy-eight years ago today, the course of our 
                Nation's history was forever altered by the surprise 
                attack at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii. On National 
                Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we solemnly remember the 
                tragic events of that morning and honor those who 
                perished in defense of our Nation that day and in the 
                ensuing 4 years of war.

                Just before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, airplanes 
                launched from the Empire of Japan's aircraft carriers 
                dropped bombs and torpedoes from the sky, attacking our 
                ships moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and other 
                military assets around Oahu. Following this swift 
                assault, the United States Pacific Fleet and most of 
                the Army and Marine airfields on the island were left 
                decimated. Most tragically, 2,335 American service 
                members and 68 civilians were killed, marking that 
                fateful day as one of the deadliest in our Nation's 
                history.

                Despite the shock of the attack, American service 
                members at Pearl Harbor fought back with extraordinary 
                courage and resilience. Sprinting through a hailstorm 
                of lead, pilots rushed to the few remaining planes and 
                took to the skies to fend off the incoming Japanese 
                attackers. Soldiers on the ground fired nearly 300,000 
                rounds of ammunition and fearlessly rushed to the aid 
                of their wounded brothers in arms. As a solemn 
                testament to the heroism that abounded that day, 15 
                American servicemen were awarded the Medal of Honor--10 
                of which were awarded posthumously. In one remarkable 
                act of bravery, Doris ``Dorie'' Miller, a steward 
                aboard the USS West Virginia, manned a machine gun and 
                successfully shot down multiple Japanese aircraft 
                despite not having been trained to use the weapon. For 
                his valor, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross and was 
                the first African-American recognized with this honor.

                In the wake of this heinous attack, the United States 
                was left stunned and wounded. Yet the dauntless resolve 
                of the American people remained unwavering and 
                unbreakable. In his address to the Congress the 
                following day, broadcast to the Nation over radio, 
                President Franklin Delano Roosevelt assured us that 
                ``[w]ith confidence in our armed forces, with the 
                unbounding determination of our people, we will gain 
                the inevitable triumph.'' In the days, months, and 
                years that followed, the full might of the American 
                people, industry, and military was brought to bear on 
                our enemies. Across the Atlantic and Pacific, 16 
                million American servicemen and women fought to 
                victory, making the world safe for freedom and 
                democracy once again. More than 400,000 of these brave 
                men and women never returned home, giving their last 
                full measure of devotion for our Nation.

                While nearly eight decades have passed since the last 
                sounds of battle rang out over Pearl Harbor, we will 
                never forget the immeasurable sacrifices these 
                courageous men and women made so that we may live today 
                in peace and prosperity. We continue to be inspired by 
                the proud legacy left by the brave patriots of the 
                Greatest Generation who served in every capacity during 
                World War II, from keeping factories operating on the 
                home front to fighting on the battlefields in Europe, 
                North Africa, and the South Pacific. Their incredible 
                heroism, dedication to duty, and love of country

[[Page 67658]]

                continue to embolden our drive to create a better world 
                and galvanize freedom-loving people everywhere under a 
                common cause. On this day, we resolve forever to keep 
                the memory of the heroes of Pearl Harbor alive as a 
                testament to the tremendous sacrifices they made in 
                defense of freedom and all that we hold dear.

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

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 
                7, 2019, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I 
                encourage all Americans to observe this solemn day of 
                remembrance and to honor our military, past and 
                present, with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I 
                urge all Federal agencies and interested organizations, 
                groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United 
                States at half-staff in honor of those American 
                patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl 
                Harbor.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2019-26779
Filed 12-10-19; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P