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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 31, 2007
VETERANS DAY, 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
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