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Memorial Day
2021
Remember and Honor
May 31, 2021
Image created by USA Patriotism!
from U.S. Department of Defense graphic and photo.
Proclamation On Prayer For Peace
On Memorial Day, we honor and reflect upon
the courage, integrity, and selfless dedication of the members of
our Armed Forces who have made the greatest sacrifice in service to
our Nation. Whether in the waters of the Pacific, on the beachheads
of Europe, in the deserts of the Middle East, or in the mountains of
Afghanistan, American service members have given their lives to
uphold our Constitution and to defend the safety and freedoms of our
citizens. These patriots embody the best of the American spirit.
They put themselves on the line for our shared values — for duty,
honor, country — and they paid the ultimate price. Our Nation can
never fully repay the debt we owe to our fallen heroes and their
families.
Jill and I know what it means to have a child
serving in a war zone — the ever-present concern for your loved one
and their fellow service members. Today and every day, we ask God to
protect our troops. We also recognize the tremendous loss endured by
America’s Gold Star families — the families of military members who
died in conflict. We have a sacred obligation as a Nation to support
those families and to always honor the memories of their loved ones.
That is the vow we make each year on Memorial Day. Our
Nation will never forget the courage and patriotism demonstrated by
the countless women and men who laid down their lives so that we may
continue to pursue a more perfect Union and to protect the
unalienable rights Americans hold dear. They came from every part of
the country, of every background and belief, united by a shared
belief in our uniquely American creed — that all people are created
equal. We will honor their legacy by continuing our work to live up
to that commitment and to advance the values they lived and died to
defend. We will continue to fight for equity and inclusion in our
country and institutions, and ensure every qualified American who is
willing to serve our country — regardless of race, religion, gender
identity, sexual orientation, or background — has a fair and equal
opportunity to do so.
We will continue to honor our fallen
service members through the actions of a new generation who
volunteer to serve in uniform, who anchor our military to our
democratic values, and who stand ready to deter aggression from our
enemies and, if required, fight and defend our Nation. Today — as we
keep true to the memory of our fallen heroes — we will endeavor to
meet their legacy and once more lead the world through the power of
our example and not just the example of our power.
As our
Nation’s service members continue to risk their lives to protect our
homeland and thwart our enemies, we must not lose sight of our
desire for enduring peace. Every day, countless Americans pray and
work for peace so that we may one day live in a world where American
patriots need not make the ultimate sacrifice, and where all people
live in freedom and prosperity. As a Nation, we are grateful to the
brave members of our Armed Services — both past and present — who
have forged the legacy for that possibility.
In honor and
recognition of all of our fallen service members, the Congress, by a
joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended (36 U.S.C. 116),
has requested that the President issue a proclamation calling on the
people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of
prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when
the people of the United States might unite in prayer and
reflection. The Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also designated
3:00 p.m. local time on that day as a time for all Americans to
observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 31, 2021, as
a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour
beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when
people might unite in prayer and reflection. I urge the press,
radio, television, and all other information media to cooperate in
this observance. I further ask all Americans to observe the National
Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial
Day.
I request the Governors of the United States and its
Territories, and the appropriate officials of all units of
government, to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff until
noon on this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval
vessels throughout the United States and in all areas under its
jurisdiction and control. I also request the people of the United
States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the
customary forenoon period.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have
hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of
our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
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Brave Blue
2021
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