[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 177 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 43295-43296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-19740]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 43295]]


                Proclamation 9636 of September 8, 2017

                
Patriot Day, 2017

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On Patriot Day, we honor the nearly 3,000 innocent 
                lives taken from us on September 11, 2001, and all of 
                those who so nobly aided their fellow citizens in 
                America's time of need. We rededicate ourselves to the 
                ideals that define our country and unite us as one, as 
                we commemorate all the heroes who lost their lives 
                saving others.

                September 11, 2001, will forever be one of the most 
                tragic days in American history. Through the 
                unimaginable despair, however, ordinary Americans 
                etched into our history remarkable illustrations of 
                bravery, of sacrifice for one another, and of 
                dedication to our shared values. The shock from the 
                indelible images of the smoke rising from the World 
                Trade Center and Pentagon gave way to countless 
                inspiring videos of co-workers helping one another to 
                safety; of heroes running into collapsing buildings to 
                save the innocent people trapped within; and to the 
                unforgettable story of the patriots who charged the 
                cockpit of Flight 93 to save untold numbers of lives. 
                These heroes moved us with their bravery. They make us 
                proud to be Americans.

                Throughout history, everyday Americans and first 
                responders have done the extraordinary through selfless 
                acts of patriotism, compassion, and uncommon courage. 
                Not just in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, but 
                across our great Nation, Americans on September 11, 
                2001, bound themselves together for the common good, 
                saying with one voice that we will be neither scared 
                nor defeated. The enemy attempted to tear at the fabric 
                of our society by destroying our buildings and 
                murdering our innocent, but our strength has not and 
                will not waiver. Americans today remain steadfast in 
                our commitment to liberty, to human dignity, and to one 
                another.

                It has been 16 years since the tragedy of September 11, 
                2001. Children who lost their parents on that day are 
                now parents of their own, while many teenagers 
                currently in high school learn about September 11th 
                only from their history books. Yet all Americans are 
                imbued with the same commitment to cause and love of 
                their fellow citizens as everyone who lived through 
                that dark day. We will never forget. The events of 
                September 11, 2001, did not defeat us. They did not 
                rattle us. They, instead, have rallied us, as leaders 
                of the civilized world, to defeat an evil ideology that 
                preys on innocents and knows nothing but violence and 
                destruction.

                On this anniversary, I invite all Americans to thank 
                our Nation's incredible service members and first 
                responders, who are on the front lines of our fight 
                against terrorism. We will always remember the 
                sacrifices made in defense of our people, our country, 
                and our freedom. The spirit of service and self-
                sacrifice that Americans so nobly demonstrated on 
                September 11, 2001, is evident in the incredible 
                response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The same spirit 
                of American patriotism we movingly witnessed on 
                September 11th has filled our hearts as we again see 
                the unflinching courage, compassion, and generosity of 
                Americans for their neighbors and countrymen. The 
                service members and first responders who lost their 
                lives on September 11, 2001, and in the years of 
                service since would be proud of what we have all 
                witnessed over these last three weeks and what will 
                undoubtedly

[[Page 43296]]

                unfold in the coming months of recovery. By protecting 
                those in need, by taking part in acts of charity, 
                service, and compassion, and by giving back to our 
                communities and country, we honor those who gave their 
                lives on and after September 11, 2001.

                By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 
                (Public Law 107-89), the Congress has designated 
                September 11 of each year as ``Patriot Day.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 
                11, 2017, as Patriot Day. I call upon all departments, 
                agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to 
                display the flag of the United States at half-staff on 
                Patriot Day in honor of the individuals who lost their 
                lives on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of 
                the United States and its territories and interested 
                organizations and individuals to join in this 
                observance. I call upon the people of the United States 
                to participate in community service in honor of those 
                our Nation lost, to observe this day with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities, including remembrance 
                services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning 
                at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to honor the 
                innocent victims who perished as a result of the 
                terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand seventeen, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                second.
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                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2017-19740
Filed 9-13-17; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P