[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 2006)]
[Pages 1733-1734]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 8061--German-American Day, 2006

 October 3, 2006

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Throughout our history, the spirit and hard work of German Americans 
have been an important part of the cultural fabric of our Nation. On 
German-American Day, we celebrate German Americans and their many 
contributions to the character of our country.
    Germans were among the first to settle in this great land of 
promise, and their talent, faith, and strong values helped establish 
this country as a place of freedom and opportunity. Today, millions of 
German Americans are adding to the success and prosperity of our Nation 
as leaders in government, sports, business, science, the arts, and many 
other fields.
    In every generation, German Americans have courageously stepped 
forward to serve in our country's hour of need. During the Revolutionary 
War, General Friedrich von

[[Page 1734]]

Steuben helped train the Continental Army for battle, and in World War 
II, great men like General Dwight Eisenhower and Admiral Chester Nimitz 
helped lead the Allied Forces to victory. Our Nation will always be 
grateful to the many German Americans who have selflessly answered the 
call to defend liberty and advance the cause of freedom as members of 
our Armed Forces. The sacrifices of these heroes help preserve the 
ideals of our country's founding and make the world a safer place.
    German-American Day is also an opportunity to recognize the 
friendship between Germany and the United States. By working together as 
partners in peace with a mutual commitment to liberty, the United States 
and Germany can lay the foundation for a more hopeful tomorrow.
     Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States 
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2006, as 
German-American Day. I encourage all Americans to celebrate our Nation's 
German heritage and the many ways German Americans have enriched and 
strengthened our country.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of 
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
first.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:47 a.m., October 4, 
2006]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
5.