Proclamation 5391—Veterans Day, 1985

Veterans Day is a special day for all Americans. It is a time to reflect on the many sacrifices and the great achievements of the brave men and women who have defended our freedom, and to salute them for their loyal and valiant service.

The blessings of liberty which our ancestors secured for us, and which we still enjoy, are ours only because, in each generation, there have been men and women willing to bear the hardships and sacrifices of serving in the military forces we need to preserve our freedom.

These fine men and women have not sought glory for themselves, but peace and freedom for all. They exemplify the spirit that has preserved us as a great Nation, and they deserve our recognition for everything they have done. With a spirit of pride and gratitude, we honor and remember our veterans today.

I urge all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers. I urge the families and friends of our sick and disabled veterans to visit them and extend to them a grateful Nation's promise that they will not be forgotten. I ask all Americans, whether or not a family member or friend is a veteran, to find ways to pay a special sign of respect to a veteran in their community on this day.

I also call upon Federal, State, and local government officials to display the flag of the United States and to encourage and participate in patriotic activities throughout the country. I invite the business community, churches, schools, unions, civic and fraternal organizations, and the media to support the national observance with suitable commemorative expressions and programs.

In order that we may pay meaningful tribute to those men and women who proudly served in our Armed Forces, Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 shall be set aside each year as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby invite the American people to join with me in a fitting salute on Veterans Day, 1985, Monday, November 11, 1985. Let us resolve anew to keep faith with those whose love of country has placed their names on a well-deserved roll of honor.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and tenth.

RONALD REAGAN