PROCLAMATION 5962—APR. 28, 1989 103 STAT. 3021 ed increasing numbers of them, ctdminating in last year's record acre- age of trees planted in a single year. National Arbor Day reminds us of the importance of planting and \ caring for the trees in our neighborhoods and Qountryside, but it also serves a larger purpose. Arbor Day provides an opportunity for all Americans to learn more about the vital function that trees—every- ^ where from our national forests to tropical mangrove swamps—^have in the global ecosystem. It invites us to study how we can best protect them from desertification and overdevelopment in many areas of the world. National Arbor Day is also a time for us to recognize the many volimteers across the United States who participate in reforestation and habitat restoration projects. These volunteers have helped to frans- form hxmdreds of acres of reduced forest into thriving woodlands. NOW, THEREFORE. I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 1989, as National Arbor Day and call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty- eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 5962 of April 28, 1989 % Loyalt;^ Day, 1989 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation True patriotism requires more than civic pride; it also requires constant loyalty to the principles upon which our country was founded. On the 1st of May each year, we Americans observe "Loyalty Day"—an occa- sion for reaffirming our allegiance to the United States and our devo- tion to the ideals of liberty and self-government. Loyalty Day reminds us that freedom and democratic government are principles worthy of our lasting fidelity. Noting that it was not only their right but also their duty to oppose despotism, om* Nation's found- ers boldly declared America's freedom and independence. "For the support of this Declaration," they avowed, "... we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, ovu* Fortimes, and our sacred Honor." Despite the great risks and sacrifices they would surely face, the Founders knew that seeming the God-given rights and freedom of the American people warranted such a solemn promise. > Generations of Americans since then have expressed the same selfless devotion to the cause of freedom. Although they were cruelly tested by the horrors of war, our Nation's veterans—and those servicemen and women who were killed in the line of duty—demonsfrated exceptional devotion to their country. Those who wear our Nation's imiform today,
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