82 FR 17747 - National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 2017

Executive Office of the President

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 70 (April 13, 2017)

Page Range		17747-17748
FR Document		2017-07580

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 70 (Thursday, April 13, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 70 (Thursday, April 13, 2017)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 17747-17748]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07580]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 82 , No. 70 / Thursday, April 13, 2017 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 17747]]


                Proclamation 9591 of April 7, 2017

                
National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 
                2017

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                On National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 
                America honors our service men and women imprisoned 
                during war. These patriots have moved and inspired our 
                Nation through their unyielding sacrifices and devout 
                allegiance. We honor the strength through adversity of 
                all of these heroes from our Nation's wars and 
                conflicts, from the American Revolution to the World 
                Wars, from Korea to Vietnam, from Desert Storm to the 
                War on Terror.

                American service members serve and fight selflessly 
                each day to secure the freedoms we often take for 
                granted. They bear the full weight of their oath to 
                ``support and defend the Constitution of the United 
                States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,'' in 
                which there is no safety clause. None know this so well 
                as our former prisoners of war (POWs). According to the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs, more than half a 
                million Americans have been captured and interned as 
                POWs since the American Revolution.

                This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Bataan 
                Death March. After the surrender of the Bataan 
                peninsula in the Philippines on April 9, 1942, Filipino 
                and American soldiers were rounded up and forced to 
                march 60 miles from Mariveles to San Fernando. An 
                estimated 500 Americans died during the march, as they 
                were starved, beaten, and tortured to death. Those who 
                reached San Fernando were taken in cramped boxcars to 
                POW camps, where thousands more Americans died of 
                disease and starvation.

                These stories remind us of the great sacrifice and 
                bravery of our men and women in the Armed Forces. 
                Throughout our history, they have risked everything to 
                defend our country. They have been stripped of liberty, 
                and regained it. They have faced the darkness of 
                captivity, and emerged to the warm light of freedom. 
                These victories have no match. These triumphs ignite 
                the flame of liberty deep within their hearts, and in 
                ours, and make America the great Nation it is today.

                But in celebrating those POWs who returned from 
                captivity, we also solemnly remember and honor those 
                who died in captivity. They paid the ultimate price for 
                their love of country.

                As President, I am committed to providing our veterans, 
                and especially our former POWs, with the support, care, 
                and resources they deserve. Our country owes a debt to 
                our heroes that we can never adequately repay, but 
                which we will always honor each day.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 April 9, 2017, as 
                National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. I call 
                upon Americans to observe this day by honoring the 
                service and sacrifice of all our former prisoners of 
                war and to express our Nation's eternal gratitude for 
                their sacrifice. I also call upon Federal, State, and 
                local government officials and organizations to observe 
                this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

[[Page 17748]]

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

[FR Doc. 2017-07580
Filed 4-12-17; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F7-P

$Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 70 / Thursday, April 13, 2017 / Presidential Documents 17747 Presidential Documents Proclamation 9591 of April 7, 2017 National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, 2017 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation On National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day, America honors our service men and women imprisoned during war. These patriots have moved and inspired our Nation through their unyielding sacrifices and devout allegiance. We honor the strength through adversity of all of these heroes from our Nation’s wars and conflicts, from the American Revolution to the World Wars, from Korea to Vietnam, from Desert Storm to the War on Terror. American service members serve and fight selflessly each day to secure the freedoms we often take for granted. They bear the full weight of their oath to ‘‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,’’ in which there is no safety clause. None know this so well as our former prisoners of war (POWs). According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than half a million Americans have been captured and interned as POWs since the American Revolution. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Bataan Death March. After the surrender of the Bataan peninsula in the Philippines on April 9, 1942, Filipino and American soldiers were rounded up and forced to march 60 miles from Mariveles to San Fernando. An estimated 500 Americans died during the march, as they were starved, beaten, and tortured to death. Those who reached San Fernando were taken in cramped boxcars to POW camps, where thousands more Americans died of disease and starvation. These stories remind us of the great sacrifice and bravery of our men and women in the Armed Forces. Throughout our history, they have risked everything to defend our country. They have been stripped of liberty, and regained it. They have faced the darkness of captivity, and emerged to the warm light of freedom. These victories have no match. These triumphs ignite the flame of liberty deep within their hearts, and in ours, and make America the great Nation it is today. But in celebrating those POWs who returned from captivity, we also solemnly remember and honor those who died in captivity. They paid the ultimate price for their love of country. As President, I am committed to providing our veterans, and especially our former POWs, with the support, care, and resources they deserve. Our country owes a debt to our heroes that we can never adequately repay, but which we will always honor each day. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, 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 April 9, 2017, as National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. I call upon Americans mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with D1 to observe this day by honoring the service and sacrifice of all our former prisoners of war and to express our Nation’s eternal gratitude for their sacrifice. I also call upon Federal, State, and local government officials and organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activi- ties. VerDate Sep<11>2014 22:11 Apr 11, 2017 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4790 Sfmt 4790 E:\FR\FM\13APD1.SGM 13APD1$

Document Created: 2017-04-13 01:08:53
Document Modified: 2017-04-13 01:08:53

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Presidential Documents
FR Citation		82 FR 17747