    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 128, 113th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 9165--SEPT. 10, 2014

    Proclamation 9165 of September 10, 2014

    Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2014

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    America will never forget the September tragedy that shook our Nation's
    core 13 years ago. On a day that began like so many others, a clear blue
    sky was pierced by billowing black smoke as a wave of grief crashed over
    us. But in one of our darkest moments, we summoned strength and courage,
    and out of horrible devastation emerged the best of our humanity. On
    this solemn anniversary, we pause in remembrance, in reflection, and
    once again in unity.
    On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 men, women, and children--friends
    and neighbors, sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, sons and
    daughters--were taken from us with a heartbreaking swiftness and
    cruelty. As we come together once more to mourn their loss, we also
    recall how the worst terrorist attack in our history brought out the
    true character of the American people. Courageous firefighters rushed
    into an inferno, brave rescue workers charged up stairs, and coworkers
    carried others to safety. Americans in distant cities and local towns
    united in common purpose, demonstrating the spirit of our Nation; people
    drove across the country to volunteer, donors lined up to give blood,
    and organizations collected food and clothing. And in our Nation's hour
    of need, millions of young Americans raised in a time of peace

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    volunteered to don the uniforms of our country's military and defend our
    values around the world.
    As we remember all those we lost on that day and the Americans who made
    the ultimate sacrifice in the wars that followed, we must strive to
    carry forward their legacy. On this National Day of Service and
    Remembrance, we take up their unfinished work and pay tribute to their
    lives with service and charity. Through these acts and quiet gestures,
    we can honor their memory and reclaim our sense of togetherness. I
    encourage all Americans to visit www.Serve.gov or www.Servir.gov to
    learn more about service opportunities across our country.
    In the face of great terror, some turned to God and many found comfort
    in family and friends--but all Americans came together as one people
    united not only in our grief, but also in our determination to stand
    with one another and support the country we love. Today and all days, we
    remember the patriots who endure in the hearts of our Nation and their
    families who have known the awful depths of loss. In their spirit, let
    us resolve to move forward together and rededicate ourselves to the
    ideals that define our Union as we work to strengthen our communities
    and better our world.
    By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89),
    the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as ``Patriot
    Day,'' and by Public Law 111-13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress
    has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized
    ``National Day of Service and Remembrance.''
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
    America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2014, as Patriot Day and
    National Day of Service and Remembrance. I call upon all departments,
    agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag
    of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day and National Day of
    Service and Remembrance in honor of the individuals who lost their lives
    on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and
    its Territories and interested organizations and individuals to join in
    this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to
    participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to
    observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including
    remembrance services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at
    8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to honor the innocent victims who
    perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of
    September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    ninth.
    BARACK OBAMA