[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 49 (Monday, December 9, 1996)]
[Pages 2462-2463]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6963--National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 1996

December 5, 1996

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

    Fifty-five years ago, on a calm Hawaiian morning, Imperial Japan 
launched a surprise attack against the U.S. Armed Forces stationed at 
Pearl Harbor, shattering the peace of our land and drawing America into 
World War II. The assault of December 7, 1941, lasted only two hours, 
but it killed or injured almost 3,600 Americans, destroyed a major 
portion of our Nation's Pacific Fleet, and damaged more than 325 
aircraft, severely weakening our air power.
    The attack jolted our Nation and forced us into a war unlike any 
previous conflict, waged across the globe in places most Americans had 
never heard of, in dense jungles and on an ocean we once thought too 
large for an enemy to cross. It was a war that would require 
unparalleled courage and determination from soldier and civilian alike, 
and all Americans rose to the monumental challenge.
    During this time, our Nation stood united in purpose and in spirit 
as never before. Millions of brave and patriotic men and women served 
the Armed Forces in the struggle for freedom; millions of others 
sacrificed on the home front. On farms and in factories, mines, and 
shipyards, Americans labored around the clock to supply the food, 
weapons, and equipment needed to win the war. In our homes, schools, and 
places of worship, Americans from every walk of life prayed and worked 
together for victory. And--as a powerful testament to America's 
resilience--battleships damaged at Pearl Harbor returned to service and 
helped break the back of the Japanese fleet.
    The generation that fought World War II came home to build new 
careers and communities and made America the richest, freest nation in 
history. Some men and women remained in uniform, safeguarding our 
liberties and ensuring that tyranny would never again threaten our 
shores. In peace, this generation vowed never again to be unprepared and 
gave our Nation the security and progress that we have known and 
cherished for over 50 years.
    This is the precious legacy bestowed on us by the men and women of 
the World War II generation. We can best honor their deeds of courage 
and determination by maintaining their vigil in defense of freedom and 
striving, as they did, to make the world a better place for all its 
peoples.
    As we mark the 55th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, let 
us remember in prayer all those who died on that day and throughout 
World War II. Let us also honor all World War II veterans and their 
families, those who lost loved ones, and those who worked on the home 
front. Finally, let us give

[[Page 2463]]

thanks once again for the peace and freedom secured by their service and 
their sacrifice.
    The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, has designated December 7, 
1996, as ``National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.''
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 1996, as National 
Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I urge all Americans to observe this day 
with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in honor of the 
Americans who served at Pearl Harbor. I also ask all Federal departments 
and agencies, organizations, and individuals to fly the flag of the 
United States at half-staff on this day in honor of those Americans who 
died as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of 
December, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
twenty-first.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:42 a.m., December 6, 
1996]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
December 9.