Memorial & Veterans Day: Presidential Proclamations

"This Memorial Day, we honor the brave women and men who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation’s freedom. We recommit to keeping our sacred obligation to their survivors, families, and caregivers. Together, we vow to honor their memories by carrying on their work to forge a more perfect Union...."

"Since the first shots fired in the Revolutionary War, Americans have answered the call to duty and given their lives in service to our Nation and its sacred founding ideals. As we pay tribute to the lives and legacies of these patriots on Memorial Day, we also remember that they sacrificed to create a better, more peaceful future for our Nation and the world. We recommit to realizing that vision, honoring the service of so many who have placed love of country above all else...."

"On Memorial Day, the United States pauses to honor the fallen heroes who died in service to our Nation. With heavy hearts and a sense of profound gratitude, we mourn these women and men -- parents, children, loved ones, comrades-in-arms, friends, and all those known and unknown -- who believed so deeply in what our country could be they were willing to give their lives to protect its promise. ..."

"Whereas Memorial Day each year has long provided a fitting occasion upon which to honor our fellow citizens who have given their lives for us in war; and Whereas the remembrance of their endless sacrifice impels us to seek divine guidance as we continue their search for a just and lasting peace;... I call upon all the people of the Nation to dedicate that day to prayer; and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at eleven o'clock in the morning as a period in which all of us, wherever we may be, may lift up our voices in thanksgiving for the courage of our fallen, in supplication for God's aid in averting war and in dedication to unceasing work for the attainment of a peaceful world...."

"This Veterans Day, we honor the generations of women and men who have served and sacrificed — not for a person, a place, or a President — but for an idea unlike any other: the idea of the United States of America. For nearly 250 years, our veterans have defended the values that make us strong so that our Nation could stand as a citadel of liberty, a beacon of freedom, and a wellspring of possibilities...."

"On November 11, Americans commemorate the service, sacrifice, and immeasurable contributions of our Nation’s veterans who have proudly worn our country’s uniform to defend and preserve our precious liberty. As we celebrate Veterans Day, we pause to recognize the brave men and women who have fearlessly and faithfully worked to defend the United States and our freedom. ..."

"On Veterans Day, America pauses to honor every service member who has ever worn one of our Nation's uniforms. Each time our country has come under attack, they have risen in her defense. Each time our freedoms have come under assault, they have responded with resolve. Through the generations, their courage and sacrifice have allowed our Republic to flourish. And today, a Nation acknowledges its profound debt of gratitude to the patriots who have kept it whole...."

"The eleventh hour is often used to mean "the last possible time." The First World War was ended on the eleventh hour—as well as the eleventh day in the eleventh month. If the idealistic hope that World War I was "the war to end all wars" had been realized, November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But World War II shattered that dream. And after the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day. Under that name, each November 11, our Nation shows its respect for those who have worn its uniform in defense of freedom...."