PROCLAMATION 7234—OCT. 6, 1999 113 STAT. 2157 tion's strength and development. Today, Jiearly one-quarter of all Americans can trace their ancestry to Germany, just as our English language finds its roots in the Germanic tongues of centuries past. German Americans honor the traditions of their lineage in the way they live, reflecting the sense of personal honor and strong work ethic passed down to them by their forebears. As Americans seek to become a more united people, we must not forget our roots, for they remind us of who we are and of what we have to share with others. German-American Day offers us an invaluable opportunity not only to honor the contributions of German Americans, but also to celebrate the close relationship that we enjoy today with our German friends across the Atlantic. Next month, we will join them in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall— a symbolic triumph of democracy and self-determination. As we look back on half a centiuy of joint accomplishments with Germany that reflect our shared respect for the rule of law, human rights, and social justice, we can look ahead to a new era of cooperation, whether working together to restore peace to the war-torn. Balkans or assisting the former Eastern Bloc nations on their own road to democratization and economic recovery. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, 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 Wednesday, October 6, 1999, as German-American Day. I encourage all Americans to applaud the important contribulions made to oiir country by our millions of citizens of German descent and to celebrate our close ties to the people of Germany. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7234 of October 6, 1999 General Pulaski Memorial Day, 1999 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation In the more than two centmries that have passed since the signing of our Declaration of Independence, America has grown from a struggling democracy into the most powerful Nation on earth. But today, even as we enter the new century as a proud, prospeious, and free people, we must never forget those friends who cast their lot with us when the outcome of our bid for independence was imclear. Among those to whom we owe such a debt of gratitude is Gcsneral Casimir Pulaski of Poland, who gave his life for our freedom on a Revolutionary War battlefield 220 years ago this month. Casimir Pulaski had scarcely reached adulthood when he joined his father and brothers in the struggle for sovereignty for their native Poland. Though the Polish forces were skilled in battle, neighboring empires
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