PROCLAMATION 7023—SEPT. 16, 1997 111 STAT. 2977 blessings for our Nation, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 153), designated September 17 as "Citizenship Day," and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 159), requested the President to proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week." NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 1997, as Citizenship Day and September 17 through September 23, 1997, as Constitution Week. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, educational, and religious organizations, to conduct meaningful ceremonies and programs in our schools, churches, and other community centers to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the Constitution and the rights and duties of citizenship. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-second. WILLIAM ]. CLINTON Proclamation 7023 of September 16, 1997 National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 1997 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Throughout our Nation's history, the men and women of America's Armed Forces have preserved our freedom, protected our security, and upheld our democratic values. From the battles of the American Revolution through the crucible of two world wars to the challenging peacekeeping and humanitarian missions of today's post-Cold War era, our men and women in uniform have stood proudly in defense of the United States and in the cause of liberty. In the two centuries since our Nation's birth, more than a million have paid the price of that liberty with their lives. Joining the ranks of these heroes are the thousands who have been held as prisoners of war or whose fate has never been resolved. Many have been lost in the chaos of battle, the grief of their loss made more acute for their families and their fellow Americans because of the inability to determine whether they perished or survived. Captive Americans, cruelly stripped of their freedom, treated with contempt and brutality, or used as pawns by their captors in a larger political struggle, have fought long, lonely battles against despair, physical and psychological torture, and the ultimate fear of being forgotten. But Americans will never forget those who have borne the indignities and sufferings of captivity in service to our country, those missing in action, or those who died as prisoners of war, far from home and family. On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we reaffirm our commitment to those still missing and renew our pledge to make every effort to obtain the answers to their fate. We can do no less for these American heroes and for their families, who have endured such profound
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