    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Proclamation 9913 of July 26, 2019

    National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2019

    By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    In 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement ended more than 3 years of
    brutal fighting against communist expansionism and tyranny on the Korean
    Peninsula. On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, we honor the
    brave patriots who secured freedom and democracy in the Republic of
    Korea, and we pay tribute to the more than 23,600 Americans who were
    killed in action and the more than 103,000 who were wounded in that
    conflict.
    The dedication stone at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington,
    DC, bears the inscription: ``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters
    who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people
    they never met.'' The memorial includes an honor roll of Americans
    killed in action and those missing in action, and its unique design
    features statues of a patrol crossing a Korean rice paddy. These figures
    represent the heroes of our Armed Forces who valiantly served in the
    Land of the Morning Calm and fought on battlefields such as Inchon, the
    Pusan Perimeter, and the Chosin Reservoir. Today, this hauntingly
    beautiful memorial stands as an enduring reminder of what it costs to
    defend and preserve the democratic principles we hold dear.
    Our ironclad alliance with the Republic of Korea was cemented when the
    first American troops arrived on its soil to fight for liberty and human
    dignity. More than six decades after the ceasefire on the Korean
    Peninsula, the Republic of Korea is flourishing as a prosperous and
    peace-loving democracy. Since the signing of the armistice at Panmunjom,
    the United States has worked with the Republic of Korea to preserve
    peace through strength. Our military, together with our allies, stands
    vigilant, strong, and ``ready to fight tonight'' on the ground, in the
    air, and at sea. The phrase ``katchi kapshida''--``we go together''--is
    on the lips of every service member in Korea, representing generations
    of Koreans and Americans united by shared sacrifice and a willingness to
    uphold the cause of freedom no matter the cost.
    Last month, when I walked across the military demarcation line that runs
    through the Demilitarized Zone, it was the first time a sitting United
    States President has ever entered into the territory of the Democratic
    People's Republic of Korea. I hope these steps will spur progress in the
    ongoing effort to achieve the complete and verifiable denuclearization
    of North Korea, establish a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, and
    continue the recovery and repatriation of remains of fallen American
    soldiers.

    [[Page 3424]]

    Today, we honor our Korean War veterans for service rendered to both the
    United States and the Republic of Korea, and we remember their families
    who supported them throughout. Sometimes called ``The Forgotten War,''
    we will always remember the immeasurable cost incurred by those who
    fought on the Korean Peninsula. The bravery, tenacity, and selflessness
    of our veterans liberated the oppressed, brought peace and prosperity to
    a freedom-loving people, and helped forge our unshakable bonds with the
    Republic of Korea.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 July 27, 2019, as
    National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. I call upon all Americans to
    observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor
    and give thanks to our distinguished Korean War Veterans.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of
    July, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
    fourth.
    DONALD J. TRUMP