Proclamation 6406—American Red Cross Month, 1992

Since its founding in 1881, the American Red Cross has earned the respect and trust of millions of people around the world -- many of whom have benefitted directly from its outstanding humanitarian programs. This month, we salute and thank the more than 1,000,000 volunteers and 23,000 staff members who conduct the life-saving work of today's Red Cross.

In addition to offering valuable health and safety information to the public, the American Red Cross has long brought vital aid and services to victims of natural disasters and other emergencies, to persons in need of blood, and to members of the Armed Forces. The past year was extraordinarily eventful by any standard, and we owe a special debt to the members of the Red Cross, who rose to the challenges it presented.

One of the most significant events of 1991, of course, was the war in the Persian Gulf, and members of the American Red Cross were there. At the outset of Operation Desert Storm, the Red Cross shipped 10,000 pints of blood to the Gulf. As our troops fought to liberate Kuwait and repel Iraqi aggression, Red Cross workers provided them with an important link to their families, relaying emergency messages from home. In the United States, Red Cross staff and volunteers helped to counsel spouses, established support groups, and provided emergency loans and grants to ease the burden of separation on military families.

In keeping with its commitment to serving people in need without regard to race, creed, or national origin, the Red Cross remained in the region to assist refugees and other persons affected by the war. In Kuwait a 50-member medical team recruited by the Red Cross delivered emergency care for hundreds of patients in a war-ravaged hospital. Team members also operated a camp on the Iraq-Kuwait border providing refuge and medical care for tens of thousands of men, women, and children driven or fleeing from their homes.

Despite the demands of its overseas operations in 1991, the American Red Cross continued to maintain a high level of activity at home. During a year that saw an unprecedented series of tornadoes, floods, and other natural disasters, thousands of Red Cross workers operated shelters, served meals, and provided financial assistance to individuals and families in need. On average, the Red Cross helps victims of about 55,000 disasters -- from house fires to hurricanes -- each year.

During the past year, the Red Cross continued its health and safety programs, training thousands of Americans in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and water safety. Red Cross workers also continued to collect, process, and distribute more than half of our Nation's blood supply -- some 6,000,000 units -- thereby ensuring countless Americans of life-saving transfusions.

Because so many people place their trust in the American Red Cross, the Red Cross is working to ensure that it will always meet the highest standards of performance and accountability. For example, it has launched a far-reaching modernization of its blood services programs to produce a state-of-the-art operation to meet the challenge of 21st century medicine. This month, as we recognize the outstanding contributions of Red Cross volunteers and staff, we also thank them for their commitment to even greater accomplishments in the future.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America and Honorary Chairman of the American National Red Cross, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the month of March 1992 as American Red Cross Month. I urge all Americans to continue their generous support of the work of the American Red Cross and its local chapters.

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

GEORGE BUSH