PROCLAMATION 5984—MAY 22, 1989 103 STAT. 3045 NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, continuing the precedent of my eight inmiediate predecessors in "^- this Office, do hereby proclaim the third Sat\irday of each May as Armed Forces Day. I direct the Secretary of Defense on behalf of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps, and the Secretary of Transportation on behalf of the Coast Guard to plan for appropriate observances each year. The Secretary of Defense shall also be responsible for soliciting the participation and cooperation of civil authorities and private citi- zens. I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to pro- vide for the observance of Armed Forces Day within their jurisdiction each year in an appropriate manner designed to increase public under- standing and appreciation of the Armed Forces of the United States. I also invite national and local veterans, civic, and commvmity service organizations to join in the annual observance of Armed Forces Day. Finally, I call upon all Americans not only to display the flag of the United States at their homes on Armed Forces Day, but also to learn about national defense—and the men and women who sustain it—^by participating in the local observances of the day. Proclamation 4934 of April 16, 1982, is hereby superseded. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seven- teenth day of May, 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 5984 of May 22, 1989 National Digestive Disease Awareness Montii, 1989 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation An estimated 20 million Americans suffer from chronic digestive dis- eases, and more Americans are hospitalized for these diseases than for any other tj^e of illness. The total social and economic impact of di- gestive diseases is thus enormous, affecting half of all Americans at some time during their lives and costing the Nation nearly $50 billion each year. In addition to the immeasurable pain, discomfort, and per- sonal distress they inflict upon their victims, digestive diseases rank third among illnesses in total cost in the United States. These diseases are responsible for almost 15 percent of all admissions to general hos- pitals and for 25 percent of all siu-gical procedures. Medical science has made important advances in the field of digestive diseases research in recent years. Recognizing the widespread impact of digestive diseases and the dire need for research in this field, many governmental, health care, scientific, and volimtary organizations have
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