[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9756 of May 25, 2018

Prayer for Peace, Memorial Day, 2018

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

On Memorial Day, we pause in solemn gratitude to pay tribute to the
brave patriots who laid down their lives defending peace and freedom
while in military service to our great Nation. We set aside this day to
honor their sacrifice and to remind all Americans of the tremendous
price of our precious liberty.
Throughout the history of our Republic, courageous Americans have
purchased our cherished freedom with their lives. Our 151 national
cemeteries serve as the final resting place for millions of people,
including veterans from every war and conflict, many of whom died while
serving our country. We remain duty bound to honor those who made the
ultimate sacrifice on our behalf and to remember them with thankfulness
and unwavering pride. The fallen--our treasured loved ones, friends,
neighbors, and fellow citizens--deserve nothing less from a grateful
Nation.
We must safeguard the legacies of our service members so that our
children and our grandchildren will understand the sacrifices of our
Armed Forces. As a part of this effort, the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) is working to keep the memories of our fallen heroes from
ever fading away. The National Cemetery Administration's Veterans Legacy
Program challenges our youth, from elementary school through college, to
research and share the stories and sacrifice of their hometown veterans,
who are forever honored at VA National, State, and tribal veterans
cemeteries. To further ensure that our veterans' legacies are remembered
and celebrated, this program is developing an online memorialization
platform that will amplify the voices of families, survivors, and Gold
Star parents and spouses as they honor our beloved veterans and fallen
service members.
Today, and every day, we revere those who have died in noble service to
our country. I call upon all Americans to remember the selfless service
members who have been laid to rest in flag-draped coffins and their
families who have suffered the greatest loss. The sacrifices of our
hallowed dead demand our Nation's highest honor and deepest gratitude.
On this day, let us also unite in prayer for lasting peace in our
troubled

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world so that future generations will enjoy the blessings of liberty and
independence.
In honor and recognition of all of our fallen heroes, 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, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 28, 2018, 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 when people might unite in
prayer.
I further ask all Americans to observe the National Moment of
Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.
I also request the Governors of the United States and its Territories,
and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct the
flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial 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-fifth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
second.
DONALD J. TRUMP