[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 18 (Monday, May 8, 1995)]
[Pages 743-744]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6794--Loyalty Day, 1995

April 29, 1995

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Our country's rich diversity of peoples and cultures has been called 
``the noble experiment.'' From its beginnings, our great democracy has 
guaranteed its citizens the blessings of freedom and the right of self-
determination. Each year, with the coming of spring and the rebirth of 
nature, we pause to consider the progress of our Nation and to reaffirm 
our allegiance to the American experiment.
    Two hundred and twenty years ago in Lexington, Massachusetts, a 
ragged group of colonial Americans faced a column of British soldiers. 
As the smoke cleared from the ``shot heard round the world,'' eight 
American ``Minutemen'' lay dead--their blood spilled along the path to a 
new Nation on this soil. Their gift of freedom is held sacred to this 
day.
    All Americans can be proud of the heritage of courage and sacrifice 
that has extended unbroken through generations of our citizens. The 
success of the United States today is seen both in our continued 
prosperity and strength and in our role as an international beacon of 
liberty. As we recall those who gave their lives for our freedom, we see 
our Nation's history reflected in their ranks--from the tireless 
``Minutemen'' in Lexington to the brave men and women who fought in the 
Persian Gulf. These fine citizens, along with their families and those 
who have served on the home front, deserve our profound respect and 
gratitude. Let history forever record our loyalty to their legacy.
    The Congress, by Public Law 85-529, has designated May 1 of each 
year as ``Loyalty Day.'' We spend this day in celebration of our 
Constitution and our precious Bill of Rights and in honor of the 
sacrifices that have enabled this great charter to endure.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1995, as Loyalty Day. I 
call upon all Americans to observe

[[Page 744]]

this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including public 
recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States. 
I also call upon government officials to display the flag on all 
government buildings and grounds on this day.
    In Witness Whereof,  I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth 
day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, 
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 
and nineteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 4:36 p.m., May 1, 1995]

Note: This proclamation was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on May 1, and it was published in the Federal Register on May 
3.