Presidential Documents

40353

Federal Register

Vol. 63, No. 144

Tuesday, July 28, 1998

Title 3—

The President

Proclamation 7110 of July 24, 1998

National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 1998

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In 1950, the thoughts of most Americans were far from war. With the

recent end of World War II and economic recovery in full swing, the American people had resumed their everyday lives—going back to school, starting

new jobs, and raising their families. But the tenor of the times changed

suddenly and dramatically that summer, as communist North Korea crossed

the 38th Parallel to invade its free neighbor to the south.

Once again, the world watched to see if the right of self-determination

would prevail in the face of aggression, and once again Americans answered

the call to serve. A United Nations force—spearheaded by U.S. air, sea,

and ground troops and under a unified command headed by the United

States—rushed to the support of South Korea. In the following 38 months,

Inchon, the Chosin Reservoir, the Yalu River, and a hundred other locales

indelibly etched into the memory of our Korean War veterans were added

to the long list of places where Americans have fought and died for freedom.

The fighting was brutal; the toll in injuries, lives lost, and those missing

in action was heavy. But American forces, fighting side by side with South

Koreans and our U.N. allies, halted communist aggression, preserved the

Republic of Korea, and won a victory for democratic peoples everywhere.

Yet, for many years, these important achievements and the extraordinary

courage and sacrifice of our forces in Korea received little recognition.

For too long, overshadowed by the broad dimensions of World War II

and the complexities of the Vietnam War, the Korean conflict seemed to

be America’s forgotten victory.

But in 1995, with the dedication of the Korean War Veterans Memorial

in our Nation’s capital, America finally paid fitting tribute to those brave

Americans whose devotion to duty wrote a crucial chapter in freedom’s

history and whose valor and determination in battle laid the foundation

for our Nation’s ultimate triumph in the Cold War. With its haunting column

of determined troops, the Memorial has the power to evoke strong memories

within those who served. But it serves another enduring purpose: to teach

future generations about America’s heroes, the depth of their sacrifice, and

the historic contributions they made to the cause of peace and freedom.

The Congress, by Public Law 104–19 (36 U.S.C. 169m), has designated

July 27, 1998, as ‘‘National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day’’ and has

authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance

of this day.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States

of America, do hereby proclaim July 27, 1998, as National Korean War

Veterans Armistice Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day

with appropriate ceremonies and activities that honor and give thanks to

our distinguished Korean War veterans. I also ask Federal departments and

agencies, interested groups, organizations, and individuals to fly the flag

of the United States at half-staff on July 27, 1998, in memory of the Americans

who died as a result of their service in Korea.
40354 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 144 /Tuesday, July 28, 1998 / Presidential Documents

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth

day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight,

and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred

[FR Doc. 98–20354

Filed 7–27–98; 10:51 am]

Billing code 3195–01–P

and twenty-third.

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