    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 117, 108th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 7692 of July 24, 2003

    National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2003

    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    When North Korean troops invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950, the
    United States took immediate action to defend the freedom of a people
    unjustly attacked. Leading a coalition of 20 other countries, American
    and South Korean troops fought to advance liberty and opportunity and to
    overcome cruelty and repression. More than 1.7 million Americans faced
    forbidding terrain and harsh combat in battles such as Pork Chop Hill,
    Heartbreak Ridge, the Pusan Perimeter, and the Chosin Reservoir.
    Throughout the conflict, the members of our Armed Forces demonstrated
    extraordinary honor, skill, and courage.
    The Military Armistice Agreement of July 27, 1953, ended 3 years of
    bitter warfare on the Korean Peninsula and stopped the spread of
    Communism in Korea, signaling to the world America's resolve to stand
    against tyranny and totalitarian regimes. Fifty years later, our Nation
    remains grateful for the bravery and sacrifice of our Korean War
    veterans. They defended human freedom, liberated the oppressed, and
    selflessly protected the democratic ideals that made our Nation strong.
    Their efforts reflect the honorable and decent spirit of America. More
    than 34,000 of America's service men and women gave their lives in
    battle in the Korean War. As we continue our fight to extend freedom
    today, we remember and honor their sacrifices and those of their
    families.
    Thanks in large measure to the veterans of the Korean War, South Korea
    today stands as a shining example of the economic and social benefits of
    democracy. As we observe the 50th anniversary of the Armistice, America
    looks forward to the day when the stability of the Korean Peninsula is
    built on peaceful reconciliation of North and South. We pledge to work
    with the Republic of Korea to further our shared values of democracy,
    human rights, and free enterprise. And we will continue to build upon
    the comprehensive and dynamic relationship between our two nations to
    promote peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast
    Asia.
    The Congress, by Public Law 104-19 as amended (36 U.S.C. 127), has
    designated July 27, 2003, as ``National Korean War Veterans Armistice
    Day'' and has authorized and requested the President to issue a
    proclamation in observance of this day.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
    America, do hereby proclaim July 27, 2003, as National Korean War
    Veterans Armistice Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day
    with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor and give thanks to
    our distinguished Korean War veterans. I also ask Federal departments
    and agencies and interested groups, organizations, and individuals to
    fly the flag of the United States at half-staff on July 27, 2003, in
    memory of the Americans who died as a result of their service in the
    Korean War.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day
    of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of

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    117 STAT. 3071

    the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
    twenty-eighth.
    GEORGE W. BUSH