PROCLAMATION 6506—NOV. 10, 1992 107 STAT. 2577 NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 23, 1992, as National Military Families Recognition Day. I urge all Americans to join in honoring United States military families around the world, who do so much in support of the men and women who defend our freedom and seciu:ity. I also call on Federal, State, and local government officials and private organizations to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety- two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6506 of November 10, 1992 Vietnam Veterans Memorial 10th Anniversary Day, 1992 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The more than 3,000,000 Americans who served our country during the war in Southeast Asia between 1960 and 1975 deserve, like all of our veterans, the lasting respect and gratitude of the Nation. From hundreds of nameless rice paddies and jimgles to places such as Dak To, A Shau Valley, and Khe Sanh, these individuals and their fallen comrades endured extraordinary hardships and sacrifices in the effort to thwart commimist expansionism in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Theirs was a long, grueling struggle for freedom and international security, and however history may judge its execution and outcome, these individuals deserve a hero's recognition and thanks. Hence, we pause on this 10th anniversary of the Nation's Vietnam Veterans Memorial to offer a heartfelt salute to each of them. While we usually think of walls as forms of division—"something there is that doesn't love a wall," wrote Robert Frost—^the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one such structure that has fostered imity and healing among millions of Americans. In the decade since its construction and dedication, which were made possible entirely by private contributions, our Nation has come to peace with itself; and today we join together in honoring the more than 58,000 Americans whose names are inscribed on "the Wall." We remember their names because we cherished them as individuals—as sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, spouses, neighbors, and friends. We remember their names because each of them taught us important lessons about duty, courage, and love of country. The lessons of the Vietnam War have, I befieve, made the United States a better Nation, a stronger Nation. Just 2 years ago, when United States forces were called on to help liberate a small, defenseless country from the occupation of a ruthless dictator, the American people rallied behind our troops in a display of unity and resolve not seen since the days of World War H. The triimiphant homecoming of our Persian Gulf veterans was, in many ways, a second homecoming for our Vietnam
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