97 STAT. 1624 PROCLAMATION 5101—SEPT. 20, 1983 women who have worn our Nation's uniform to preserve America's freedom and world peace. Our Armed Forces veterans have earned a special day in which you and I may focus on their heroic accomplishments. For their unselfish devotion to duty, Congress established Veterans Day as a national expression of grati- tude. On this historic occasion, our hearts and minds should be with our living veterans and their deceased comrades who have contributed so much to the defense of our country's ideals. From Valley Forge when our Nation was in its infancy, to the Vietnam con- flict where our men and women in uniform served and died for the human rights of others, through war and peace, these valiant citizens have an- "^ swered the call to service with honor and dignity. They are indeed worthy of a formal tribute from a grateful Nation. Special consideration is due to those veterans who are sick and disabled. There is no better tangible ex- pression of our affection than by remembering to visit them at home or in our hospitals. In order that we pay meaningful tribute to those men and women who proudly served in our Armed Forces, Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 shall be set aside each year as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Friday, November 11, 1983, as Veterans Day. In recognition of their valor, I urge all Americans to join with me in a fitting salute to our veterans, and I call upon Federal, State, and local gov- ernment officials as well as private citizens to mark Veterans Day by dis- playing the flag of the United States, and I ask those Government officials to support fully and personally its observance by appropriate ceremonies throughout the country. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of Sept., in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eighth. RONALD REAGAN Proclamation 5101 of September 20, 1983 National Cystic Fibrosis Week, 1983 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Cystic fibrosis is one of the most common fatal genetic diseases among children in the United States. In spite of its prevalence, however, the dis- ease remains a mystery in many ways. Its underlying cause is elusive, as is a method for identifying carriers who have no symptoms. Even in victims of cystic fibrosis, the disease manifests itself in many different ways, often masquerading as other conditions, and thus confunds diagnosis. Through the combined efforts of the Federal government's National Insti- tutes of Health, private voluntary agencies, and researchers at medical cen- ters and universities across the country, we are making inroads toward ex- plaining the mysteries of cystic fibrosis. While the disease once was almost invariably fatal in infancy and early childhood, innovations in diagnosis and treatment over the past 20 years have virtually doubled the average
�
