Proclamation 6424—Loyalty Day, 1992

The United States has endured and prospered because it is founded on the ideals of freedom, equal opportunity, and justice -- ideals worthy of the abiding faith and fidelity of our people. Unlike the May Day parades and marches that many totalitarian regimes once orchestrated among their citizens -- hollow shows of unity and devotion that have died along with imperial communism -- our observance of Loyalty Day has remained a cherished American tradition. On this occasion, we reaffirm our belief in the God-given dignity and worth of the individual and in each human being's equal and unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

This year's observance of Loyalty Day has added significance as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Pledge of Allegiance. Its original author, Francis Bellamy of The Youth's Companion magazine, said that he strived to compose a salute to our flag that would "embody the fundamental idea of patriotic citizenship, comprehending in broadest lines the spirit of our history and the deepest aim of our National life." Clearly, he succeeded. When we recite the Pledge and promise our allegiance to this "one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," we reaffirm the great spiritual and moral heritage of the United States, the importance of our Union, and the noble vision to which it is dedicated.

The Pledge of Allegiance expresses in words the loyalty and love of country that millions of Americans demonstrate, each day, through acts of patriotism and service. By honoring their vow to uphold our Constitution, elected officials, law enforcement officers, judges, and other public employees demonstrate their appreciation for the blessings of liberty and their determination to help preserve them. Parents, teachers, veterans, and civic association members show loyalty to our country by educating our children about its past, by encouraging them to take pride in all that America means to the world, and by setting examples of personal responsibility, strong moral character, and good citizenship. The missions of Americans who volunteer their time and talents to help solve various social problems likewise testify to their love of this great land. Today we remember especially the courageous members of our all-volunteer armed forces, as well as the many heroes who have gone before them in battle, proving with their very lives the depth of their commitment to liberty and self-government. These and all Americans demonstrate that our country is, indeed, as President Hayes once described it, "a union depending not upon the constraint of force, but upon the loving devotion of a free people."

To foster loyalty to the principles on which the United States is founded, the Congress, by joint resolution approved July 18, 1958 (72 Stat. 369; has designated May 1 of each year as "Loyalty Day."

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 1, 1992, as Loyalty Day. I call on all Americans to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including public recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States. I also callon all Government officials to display the flag on all Government buildings and grounds on that day.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto sset my hand this twenty-eight day of April, 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