Proclamation 6474—National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 1992

As we Americans celebrate the collapse of imperial communism and the expansion of democracy around the world, we are especially grateful to the courageous United States military personnel who defended the cause of freedom in war. Yet, while we welcome improved prospects for international cooperation and peace, we also remember our fellow Americans who continue to suffer the uncertainties of wartime: the families of American service members and civilians who are still listed as missing and for whom the fullest possible accounting has not yet been made.

As a sign of our Nation's commitment to obtaining the answers that these families seek, on September 18, 1992, the flag of the National League of POW/MIA Families will be flown over the White House, the U.S. Departments of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, the Selective Service System headquarters, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This black and white emblem will continue to symbolize American's clear, unequivocal resolve to keep faith with those who so faithfully served and defended us.

Through the eyewitness testimony of former American prisoners of war, we know that many were subjected to extreme deprivation and torture, in violation of fundamental standards of morality and in stark contravention of international agreements governing treatment of war pisoners. Their experiences have not only underscored our debt to those who risked their lives and liberty for our sake but also strengthened our resolve to secure the return of any Americans who may still be held against their will. Doing so remains a matter of highest national priority, as do our efforts to obtain the fullest possible accounting for the missing and the repatriation of all recoverable remains of those who died as a result of their service to our Nation. On this occasion, we renew our pledge to obtain the answers that the families of these Americans deserve, in order that they may gain the peace of certainty and share more fully in the celebration of freedom's expansion around the globe.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 18, 1992, as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. I urge all Americans to join in honoring former American POWs as well as those service members and civilians who are still missing and unaccounted for as a result of serving our Nation. I also encourage all Americans to join in saluting the families of these individuals for their dedication to the truth and for their perseverance in seeking answers. Finally, I call on State and local government officials, as well as private organizations, to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, 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 seventeenth.

GEORGE BUSH