[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8859--SEPT. 7, 2012

Proclamation 8859 of September 7, 2012

National Days of Prayer and Remembrance, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Eleven years ago, America confronted one of our darkest days. The events
of September 11, 2001, brought collapsing towers in Manhattan and
billowing smoke at the Pentagon, wreckage on a Pennsylvania field, and
deep ache to the soul of our Nation. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost
their lives that morning; still more gave theirs in service during the
hours, days, and years that followed. All were loved, and none will be
forgotten. On these days of prayer and remembrance, we mourn again the
men, women, and children who were taken from us with terrible swiftness,
stand with their friends and family, honor the courageous patriots who
responded in our country's moment of need, and, with God's grace,
rededicate ourselves to a spirit of unity and renewal.
Those who attacked us sought to deprive our Nation of the very ideals
for which we stand--but in the aftermath of this tragedy, the American
people kept alive the virtues and values that make us who we are and who
we must always be. Today, the legacy of September 11 is one of rescue
workers who rushed to the scene, firefighters who charged up the stairs,
passengers who stormed the cockpit--courageous individuals who put their
lives on the line to save people they never knew. It is also a legacy of
those who stood up to serve in our Armed Forces. In the 11 years since
that day, more than 2 million American service members have gone to war.
They have volunteered, leaving the com-

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forts of home and family to defend
the country they love and the people they hold dear. Many have returned
with dark memories of distant places and fallen friends; too many will
never return at all. As we mark these solemn days, we pay tribute to the
men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in faraway lands, to
heroes who died in the line of duty here at home, and to all who keep
faith with the principles of service and sacrifice that will always be
the source of America's strength.
On September 11, 2001, in our hour of grief, a Nation came together. No
matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or
ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family. This weekend,
as we honor the memory of those we have lost, let us summon that spirit
once more. Let us renew our sense of common purpose. And let us reaffirm
the bond we share as a people: that out of many, we are one.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, 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 Friday, September 7
through Sunday, September 9, 2012, as National Days of Prayer and
Remembrance. I ask that the people of the United States honor and
remember the victims of September 11, 2001, and their loved ones through
prayer, contemplation, memorial services, the visiting of memorials, the
ringing of bells, evening candlelight remembrance vigils, and other
appropriate ceremonies and activities. I invite people around the world
to participate in this commemoration.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of
September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA