[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8683 of May 27, 2011

Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
For over two centuries, brave men and women have laid down their lives
in defense of our great Nation. These heroes have made the ultimate
sacrifice so we may uphold the ideals we all cherish. On this Memorial
Day, we honor the generations of Americans who have fought and died to
defend our freedom.
Today, all who wear the uniform of the United States carry with them the
proud legacies of those who have made our Nation great, from the
patriots who fought at Lexington and Concord to the troops who stormed
the beaches at Normandy. Ordinary men and women of extraordinary courage
have, since our earliest days, answered the call of duty with valor and
unwavering devotion. From Gettysburg to Kandahar, America's sons and
daughters have served with honor and distinction, securing our liberties
and laying a foundation for lasting peace.
On this solemn day in which Americans unite in remembrance of our
country's fallen, we also pray for our military personnel and their
families, our veterans, and all who have lost loved ones. As a grateful
Nation, we forever carry the selfless sacrifice of our fallen heroes in
our hearts, and we share the task of caring for those they left behind.
In his second Inaugural Address, in the midst of the Civil War,
President Lincoln called on our embattled Nation ``to care for him who
shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan, to do
all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among
ourselves, and with all nations.'' On this Memorial Day, and every day,
we bear a heavy burden of responsibility to uphold the founding
principles so many died defending. I call on all Americans to come
together to honor the men and women who gave their lives so that we may
live free, and to strive for a just and lasting peace in our world.
In honor of our fallen service members, the Congress, by a joint
resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116), has
requested the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of
the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for
permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of
the United States might unite in prayer. The Congress, by Public Law
106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time
for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of
Remembrance.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 30, 2011, as a day of
prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each
locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I also
ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance
beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
I request the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, and the appropriate officials of all units of government,
to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this
Memorial

[[Page 2038]]

Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the United
States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also
request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-
staff from their homes for the customary forenoon period.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day
of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fifth.
BARACK OBAMA