[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