National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2019

Citation84 FR 67657
Record Number2019-26779
Published date11 December 2019
SectionPresidential Documents
CourtExecutive Office Of The President
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
                [Presidential Documents]
                [Pages 67657-67658]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-26779] Presidential Documents
                Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 238 / Wednesday, December 11, 2019 /
                Presidential Documents
                ___________________________________________________________________
                Title 3--
                The President
                [[Page 67657]]
                 Proclamation 9971 of December 6, 2019
                
                National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2019
                 By the President of the United States of America
                 A Proclamation
                 Seventy-eight years ago today, the course of our
                 Nation's history was forever altered by the surprise
                 attack at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii. On National
                 Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we solemnly remember the
                 tragic events of that morning and honor those who
                 perished in defense of our Nation that day and in the
                 ensuing 4 years of war.
                 Just before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, airplanes
                 launched from the Empire of Japan's aircraft carriers
                 dropped bombs and torpedoes from the sky, attacking our
                 ships moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor and other
                 military assets around Oahu. Following this swift
                 assault, the United States Pacific Fleet and most of
                 the Army and Marine airfields on the island were left
                 decimated. Most tragically, 2,335 American service
                 members and 68 civilians were killed, marking that
                 fateful day as one of the deadliest in our Nation's
                 history.
                 Despite the shock of the attack, American service
                 members at Pearl Harbor fought back with extraordinary
                 courage and resilience. Sprinting through a hailstorm
                 of lead, pilots rushed to the few remaining planes and
                 took to the skies to fend off the incoming Japanese
                 attackers. Soldiers on the ground fired nearly 300,000
                 rounds of ammunition and fearlessly rushed to the aid
                 of their wounded brothers in arms. As a solemn
                 testament to the heroism that abounded that day, 15
                 American servicemen were awarded the Medal of Honor--10
                 of which were awarded posthumously. In one remarkable
                 act of bravery, Doris ``Dorie'' Miller, a steward
                 aboard the USS West Virginia, manned a machine gun and
                 successfully shot down multiple Japanese aircraft
                 despite not having been trained to use the weapon. For
                 his valor, Miller was awarded the Navy Cross and was
                 the first African-American recognized with this honor.
                 In the wake of this heinous attack, the United States
                 was left stunned and wounded. Yet the dauntless resolve
                 of the American people remained unwavering and
                 unbreakable. In his address to the Congress the
                 following day, broadcast to the Nation over radio,
                 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt assured us that
                 ``[w]ith confidence in our armed forces, with the
                 unbounding determination of our people, we will gain
                 the inevitable triumph.'' In the days, months, and
                 years that followed, the full might of the American
                 people, industry, and military was brought to bear on
                 our enemies. Across the Atlantic and Pacific, 16
                 million American servicemen and women fought to
                 victory, making the world safe for freedom and
                 democracy once again. More than 400,000 of these brave
                 men and women never returned home, giving their last
                 full measure of devotion for our Nation.
                 While nearly eight decades have passed since the last
                 sounds of battle rang out over Pearl Harbor, we will
                 never forget the immeasurable sacrifices these
                 courageous men and women made so that we may live today
                 in peace and prosperity. We continue to be inspired by
                 the proud legacy left by the brave patriots of the
                 Greatest Generation who served in every capacity during
                 World War II, from keeping factories operating on the
                 home front to fighting on the battlefields in Europe,
                 North Africa, and the South Pacific. Their incredible
                 heroism, dedication to duty, and love of country
                [[Page 67658]]
                 continue to embolden our drive to create a better world
                 and galvanize freedom-loving people everywhere under a
                 common cause. On this day, we resolve forever to keep
                 the memory of the heroes of Pearl Harbor alive as a
                 testament to the tremendous sacrifices they made in
                 defense of freedom and all that we hold dear.
                 The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has
                 designated December 7 of each year as ``National Pearl
                 Harbor Remembrance Day.''
                 NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
                 United States of America, do hereby proclaim December
                 7, 2019, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I
                 encourage all Americans to observe this solemn day of
                 remembrance and to honor our military, past and
                 present, with appropriate ceremonies and activities. I
                 urge all Federal agencies and interested organizations,
                 groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United
                 States at half-staff in honor of those American
                 patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl
                 Harbor.
                 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
                 sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord two
                 thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the
                 United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                 fourth.
                
                
                 (Presidential Sig.)
                [FR Doc. 2019-26779
                Filed 12-10-19; 8:45 am]
                Billing code 3295-F0-P
                

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