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

Proclamation 7684 of June 6, 2003
 
Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2003

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Each year, we set aside June 14 to commemorate the day in 1777 when the
Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag
of our Republic. With this act, the Congress declared that we were one
Nation, under one flag, united for the cause of liberty and justice for
all.
As a symbol of our patriotism, the American flag continues to invoke
pride and resolve among our people, especially when we see it next to a
headstone, on the masts of our military ships, worn by the generations
of Americans who have proudly served our country, or emerging from the
wreckage caused by a natural or manmade disaster. Flying over public
buildings, monuments, schools, and homes, our flag is testament to the
ideals of American democracy.

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117 STAT. 3053

Through the years, millions of immigrants have come to our shores
seeking to share in the promise of freedom represented by our flag. From
war-torn Europe, to the mountains of Afghanistan, to the deserts of
Iraq, the flag and those who carry it are universally recognized as
harbingers of liberation, justice, and peace. Regardless of
circumstance, our flag endures as a sign of hope.
On Flag Day, we look to the red, white, and blue as a symbol of our
commitment to advancing the universal hope of liberty and justice for
all. Old Glory abounds in the landscape of our daily lives, reminding us
of the freedom we share. The 50 stars and 13 stripes are not just a
random pattern, they symbolize the blessings of liberty we enjoy as
Americans.
To commemorate the adoption of our flag, the Congress, by joint
resolution approved August 3, 1949, as amended (63 Stat. 492),
designated June 14 of each year as ``Flag Day'' and requested that the
President issue an annual proclamation calling for its observance and
for the display of the Flag of the United States on all Federal
Government buildings. The Congress also requested, by joint resolution
approved June 9, 1966, as amended (80 Stat. 194), that the President
issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14
occurs as ``National Flag Week'' and calling upon all citizens of the
United States to display the flag during that week.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2003, as Flag Day and the week
beginning June 8, 2003, as National Flag Week. I direct the appropriate
officials to display the flag on all Federal Government buildings during
that week, and I urge all Americans to observe Flag Day and National
Flag Week by flying the Stars and Stripes from their homes and other
suitable places. I also call upon the people of the United States to
observe with pride and all due ceremony those days from Flag Day through
Independence Day, also set aside by the Congress (89 Stat. 211), as a
time to honor America, to celebrate our heritage in public gatherings
and activities, and to publicly recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the
Flag of the United States of America.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of June,
in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the Independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-seventh.
GEORGE W. BUSH