Proclamation 4055—Flag Day and National Flag Week, 1971

On June 14, 1777—only months after the Declaration of Independence, and with four bitter years of the Revolutionary War still ahead—the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States of America. Like the Declaration itself, our flag began as an audacious assertion, crying out for proof.

With the passing decades the proof has come. One new freedom after another has enriched the flag's symbolism. But our vision of ideals to be realized has expanded as well, so that even now the flag speaks more of promise than of pride and looks more to tomorrow than to yesterday. And as long as America is a young Nation, this is the way it must be. Each generation must do its own proving.

The American flag today means what today's Americans make it mean. We have in our power to make it abroad the banner of peace, honor, generosity—at home the ensign of liberty, justice, opportunity. In these goals, all Americans can unite. To this work, each of us can dedicate himself—resolving that, on whatever else we may differ, the flag and its challenge are ours in common.

To commemorate the adoption of our flag, the Congress by a joint resolution of August 3, 1949 (63 Stat. 492), designated June 14 of each year as Flag Day and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its observance. By a joint resolution of June 9, 1966 (80 Stat. 194), the Congress also requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating the week in which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week and calling upon all citizens to display the flag of the United States on the days of that week.

Now, Therefore, I, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the week beginning June 13, 1971, as National Flag Week, and I direct the appropriate Government officials to display the flag on all Government buildings during that week.

I urge all Americans to observe Flag Day with appropriate ceremonies and to fly the flag at their homes and other suitable places during Flag Week.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-fifth.

RICHARD NIXON