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

 
PROCLAMATION 9169--SEPT. 18, 2014

Proclamation 9169 of September 18, 2014

National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 2014

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

America's history shines with patriots who have answered the call to
serve. From Minutemen who gathered on a green in Lexington to a great
generation that faced down Communism and all those in our military
today, their sacrifices have strengthened our Nation and helped secure
more than two centuries of freedom. As our Armed Forces defend our
homeland from new threats in a changing world, we remain committed to a
profound obligation that dates back to the ear

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liest days of our founding--the United States does not ever leave our
men and women in uniform behind. On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we
express the solemn promise of a country and its people to our service
members who have not returned home and their families: you are not
forgotten.
My Administration remains dedicated to accounting as fully as possible
for our Nation's missing heroes, lost on battlefields where the sounds
of war ceased decades ago and in countries where our troops are deployed
today. Whether they are gone for a day or for decades, their absence is
felt. They are missed during holidays and around dinner tables, and
their loved ones bear this burden without closure. Americans who gave
their last full measure of devotion deserve to be buried with honor and
dignity, and those who are still unaccounted for must be returned to
their families. We will never give up our search for them, and we will
continue our work to secure the release of our citizens who are unjustly
detained abroad. Today, we acknowledge that we owe a profound debt of
gratitude to all those who have given of themselves to protect our Union
and our way of life, and we honor them by working to uphold this sacred
trust.
On September 19, 2014, the stark black and white banner symbolizing
America's Missing in Action and Prisoners of War will be flown over the
White House; the United States Capitol; the Departments of State,
Defense, and Veterans Affairs; the Selective Service System
Headquarters; the World War II Memorial; the Korean War Veterans
Memorial; the Vietnam Veterans Memorial; United States post offices;
national cemeteries; and other locations across our country. We raise
this flag as a solemn reminder of our obligation to always remember the
sacrifices made to defend our Nation.
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 September 19, 2014, as
National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I urge all Americans to observe this
day of honor and remembrance with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth 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