[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.

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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