[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8993--JUNE 7, 2013

Proclamation 8993 of June 7, 2013

Flag Day and National Flag Week, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Each June, our Nation lifts its sights to the flag that has watched over
us since the days of our founding. In those broad stripes and bright
stars, we see the arc of the American story--from a handful of colonies
to 50 States, united and free.
When proud patriots took up the fight for independence, they came
together under a standard that showed their common cause. When the
wounds of civil war were still fresh and our country walked the long
road to reconstruction, our people found hope in a banner that testified
to the strength of our Union. Wherever our American journey has taken




[[Page 1324]]

us, whether on that unending path to the mountaintop or high above into
the reaches of space, Old Glory has followed, reminding us of the rights
and responsibilities we share as citizens.
This week, we celebrate that legacy, and we honor the brave men and
women who have secured it through centuries of service at home and
abroad. Let us raise our flags high, from small-town storefronts to duty
stations stretched around the globe, and let us look to them once more
as we press on in the march toward a more perfect Union.
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
annually issue a proclamation designating the week in which June 14
occurs as ``National Flag Week'' and call upon citizens of the United
States to display the flag during that week.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim June 14, 2013, as Flag Day and the week
beginning June 9, 2013, 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 displaying the flag. 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 seventh day of
June, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
seventh.
BARACK OBAMA