Presidential Document2024-16852
National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2024
Primary source
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Published
July 30, 2024
Signed
July 25, 2024
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 146 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 61009-61010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16852]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 146 / Tuesday, July 30, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 61009]]
Proclamation 10788 of July 25, 2024
National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, we honor
the service and sacrifice of the American and Korean
service members who fought valiantly in the Korean War
from 1950 to 1953. We hold in our hearts the memories
of the 36,000 Americans and more than 7,000 Korean
Augmentation to the United States Army soldiers who
laid down their lives for the sacred cause of freedom.
We recommit to upholding their legacy through our
alliance with the Republic of Korea and by securing the
future they gave everything for--one of peace,
stability, and prosperity.
Today, I am thinking of Korean War veterans like
Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr., USA (Ret.), whom I awarded
the Medal of Honor to in 2021. Prior to his passing in
April, Colonel Puckett was the last living Korean War
veteran to have received the Medal of Honor. His story,
though one of uncommon valor, was reflected in the
experiences and trials of so many of our Nation's
Korean War veterans--trudging through frozen rice
paddies, fighting on the rocky terrain of the Korean
Peninsula, and persisting in spite of the fact that the
enemy often far outnumbered our troops. Like I said to
Colonel Puckett and his family years ago: Though the
Korean War is sometimes called the ``Forgotten War,''
the heroes who were there under his command will never
forget his bravery, and neither will we. Our entire
Nation owes a debt of gratitude to every Korean War
veteran for their service and sacrifice. As we
recognize the service and sacrifice of our Nation's
Korean War veterans, we also remember the thousands of
service members who went missing in action during the
Korean War--we will never stop working to bring each of
them home.
Last year, I joined President Yoon of the Republic of
Korea to mark the 70th anniversary of our countries'
alliance. It is an unbreakable bond because it was
forged in bravery and the sacrifice of both of our
peoples--sanctified by the American and Korean troops
who fought and died to defend liberty. Our Korean War
veterans are the reason the alliance stands and remains
strong today as two vibrant and innovative democracies.
This alliance is why I was proud to sign the Korean
American VALOR Act into law, helping Korean veterans
who fought alongside American troops and are now
American citizens receive access to Department of
Veterans Affairs health care services.
Our Nation's Korean War veterans answered the call to
duty. Like every generation before them, these veterans
knew that freedom is never guaranteed--one has to fight
for it and defend it in the battle between autocracy
and democracy, between the greed of a few and the
rights of many. As Colonel Puckett said: ``Our country
depends on you, me, what you do every day, and how you
live . . . It depends on us.'' May we all show our
gratitude for our service members, who show us every
day what it means to put our democracy and our Nation
first.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 27, 2024,
as National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day. On this
day, I encourage
[[Page 61010]]
all Americans to reflect on the strength, sacrifices,
and sense of duty of our Korean War veterans and bestow
upon them the high honor they deserve. 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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-16852
Filed 7-29-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 30, 2024.
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