[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 116 (Wednesday, June 18, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26181-26182]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11362]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90 , No. 116 / Wednesday, June 18, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 26181]]
Proclamation 10952 of June 13, 2025
250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United
States Army
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On June 14, 1775, the sword and shield of our Republic
were forged when the Second Continental Congress voted
to establish what would later become the United States
Army. Today, our Nation proudly celebrates 250 years of
our Army's strength, service, valor, and discipline. We
honor its heroic legacy as the guardian of our
sovereignty and our fortress against tyranny--and we
pay tribute to the millions of warriors who live by the
motto: This We'll Defend.
Following the first shots of the Revolutionary War at
Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, it became
clear to the patriots that--despite their persistent
efforts for peace--war against the British was
necessary as a final recourse in defense of their
freedom. In the wake of the Boston Massacre, the
Intolerable Acts, and the enduring injustice of
taxation without representation, they established the
First Continental Congress in the fall of 1774 to
formally address their grievances. After dozens of
patriots perished at Lexington and Concord, the
Colonies reconvened--and by June 14, the delegates had
decided that there was only one path forward.
On that spring day, in a momentous act of unity and
resolve, the Congress passed a resolution to formally
establish the instrument of our national defense in the
form of the Continental Army. ``Resolved, that six
companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised in
Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia''
the resolution reads.
With the passing of that fateful resolution, the
scattered militias of the American Colonies banded
together as a single force--boldly declaring that they
would never waver in defense of their liberty and their
home. The next day, George Washington was unanimously
appointed as the Continental Army's Commander-in-Chief.
Weeks later, on July 3, 1775, he took charge of his
Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ``It is hoped that
all Distinctions of Colonies will be laid aside so that
one and the same Spirit may animate the whole, and the
only Contest be, who shall render, on this great and
trying occasion, the most essential service to the
Great and common cause in which we are all engaged,''
he wrote.
In the days, weeks, and years that followed, that very
same Army shocked the Redcoats at Trenton and
Princeton, won their first great victory at Saratoga,
secured the cause of independence at Yorktown,
preserved the Union at Gettysburg, held the line at
Chateau-Thierry, stormed the bloody beaches of
Normandy, and to this day, gallantly defends our
inheritance of freedom against every foe with unmatched
tenacity, courage, and strength. What was first formed
as a ragtag army of farmers, frontiersmen, blacksmiths,
and merchants now stands as the most dominant military
force ever born of human will--guided by the promise to
support and defend the Constitution of the United
States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
To ensure our Army's storied legacy continues well into
the future, as President, I have purged the sinister
ideology of ``Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion'' from
the ranks of our military. I directed the Department of
[[Page 26182]]
Defense to update its guidance regarding transgender--
identifying medical standards to ensure our military
remains the most lethal in the world. In a long overdue
redress of injustice, I reinstated American service
members who were dismissed for refusing the COVID
vaccine, with full back pay and benefits. Every day, I
am restoring a foreign policy of peace through
strength--and as a result, military recruitment is
soaring to historic highs. Under my leadership, the
United States military will remain the mightiest,
fiercest, boldest, and most revered in the entire
world.
On this 250th anniversary of the founding of the United
States Army, we pay tribute to every legend of liberty
who sacrificed their life to keep America safe,
sovereign, and free. As my Administration continues the
work of protecting our homeland and upholding our way
of life, we proudly summon the spirit, confidence, and
resolve of the intrepid men who won our independence on
the battlefield 250 years ago--and we vow that their
legacy of courage will never perish, and that our
sacred birthright of freedom will never, ever die.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2025, as a
day in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the
founding of the United States Army. This We'll Defend.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2025-11362
Filed 6-17-25; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P