[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 44 (Monday, November 5, 2007)]
[Pages 1436-1437]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Proclamation 8199--Veterans Day, 2007

 October 31, 2007

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who 
cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of 
freedom. The brave members of the United States Armed Forces have 
answered the call to serve our Nation, ready to give all for their 
country. On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for 
their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom 
and peace that they have given our great Nation.
    In times of war and of peace, our men and women in uniform stepped 
forward to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love. They 
shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of 
duty and honor. Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless 
enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror. They ensured 
that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the 
nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners 
of the earth.
    Like the heroes before them, today a new generation of men and women 
are fighting for freedom around the globe. Their determination, courage, 
and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful 
world.
    Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who 
protected our freedom in years past, and to those who protect it today. 
They represent the very best of our Nation. Every Soldier, Sailor, 
Airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of 
the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered 
forever. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: `` . . . let us strive on to 
finish the work we are in, to bind up the Nation's wounds, to care for 
him who shall have borne the battle . . . .'' On this Veterans Day, I 
ask all Americans to express their appreciation to our Nation's 
veterans.
    With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service 
men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the 
world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of 
each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our 
Nation's veterans.
    Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of 
America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2007, as Veterans Day and urge 
all Americans to observe November 11 through November 17, 2007, as 
National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize 
the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. 
I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of 
the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities 
in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places 
of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this 
national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first 
day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
second.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:38 a.m., November 1, 
2007]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on 
November 2.

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