Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 112 Part 5.djvu/1022

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112 STAT. 3780 PROCLAMATION TllO-^JULY 24, 1998 their thoughts openly, or Uve without fear of sudden arrest, arbitrary imprisonment, or brutal treatment. The rulers of these captive nations, in denying the tide of freedom rising across the globe, have positioned themselves on the wrong side of history. This year marks the 40th observance of Captive Nations Week. For four decades these proclamations have served to express America's solidarity with people suffering under communist and other oppressive rule aroimd the world. It is important that we continue to mark this annual observance as a reminder that building and nurturing democracy is an endiuing struggle while there are still people in various parts of the world who are captives of tyranny. The Congress, by Joint Resolution approved July 17, 1959 (73 Stat. 212), has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week in July of each year as "Captive Nations Week." NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 19 through July 25, 1998, as Captive Nations Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities and to rededicate ourselves to supporting the cause of freedom, himian rights, and self-determination for all the peoples of the world. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-third. WILLIAM J. CLINTON Proclamation 7110 of July 24, 1998 National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, 1998 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation In 1950, the thoughts of most Americans were far from war. With the recent end of World War II and economic recovery in full swing, the American people had resumed their everyday lives—going back to school, starting new jobs, and raising their families. But the tenor of the times changed suddenly and dramatically that summer, as communist North Korea crossed the 38th Parallel to invade its free neighbor to the south. Once again, the world watched to see if the right of self-determination would prevail in the face of aggression, and once again Americans answered the call to serve. A United Nations force—spearheaded by U.S. air, sea, and groimd troops and under a imified command headed by the United States—crushed to the support of South Korea. In the following 38 months, Inchon, the Chosin Reservoir, the Yalu River, and a hundred other locales indelibly etched into the memory of our Korean War veterans were added to the long list of places where Americans have fought and died for freedom. The fighting was brutal; the toll in injuries, Uves lost, and those missing in action was heavy. But