Proclamation 6298—National Desert Storm Reservists Day, 1991

On this occasion we gratefully salute the members of the National Guard and Reserve forces of the United States -- dedicated and highly trained men and women who played a major role in the success of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Whether they served directly in the Persian Gulf or on military bases in the United States and elsewhere around the world, as members of our Nation's Total Force, these National Guardsmen and reservists made a vital contribution toward the liberation of Kuwait.

During the course of the war in the Persian Gulf, more than 228,000 members of the Ready Reserve were ordered to active duty. Thousands more volunteered in advance of being called to support the coalition effort. Members of the Army National Guard, the Army Reserve, the Naval Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve -- these men and women were trained and ready to do their jobs. As they have done for all conflicts since colonial times, guardsmen and reservists responded quickly to the call. They promptly assumed a variety of combat missions such as armor, artillery, tactical fighter, tactical reconnaissance, and minesweeping. Their support missions included transportation, medical, airlift, service/supply, civil affairs, intelligence, military police, and communications.

When called to active duty, members of the Ready Reserve were suddenly required to leave behind their families and their careers. As we thank our Desert Storm reservists for the many sacrifices that they have made in behalf of our country, it is fitting that we also honor their loved ones. They too have shown the extraordinary degree of patriotism and courage that we have come to expect of the Nation's military families. National Guard and Reserve units worked in close cooperation with the Active Services to develop a broad-based family support network to assist these new military dependents.

The Nation's employers, educators, and other institutions throughout the private sector have provided strong support and assistance to their reservist employees and students who were called to duty on short notice. The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a 4,000-member network of business and civic leader volunteers, has put forth special efforts to help guardsmen and reservists, as well as their employers, to understand their job rights and responsibilities.

In recognition of their vital role in the liberation of Kuwait, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 134, has designated May 22, 1991, as "National Desert Storm Reservists Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this day.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 1991, as National Desert Storm Reservists Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities in honor of the courageous men and women of the United States Ready Reserve.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth.

GEORGE BUSH