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They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them . .
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them!
-- Lawrence Binyon

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I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement,
and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.
                                                         -- Abraham Lincoln, November 1864

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Monday, May 26, 2003 at 3:00 p.m. local time

 (05-23) 08:07 PDT (AP) --

Text of President Bush's Memorial Day proclamation:

On Memorial Day, America undertakes its solemn
duty to remember the sacred list of brave Americans
who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of
freedom and the security of our nation. By honoring
these proud soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and
Coast Guardsmen lost throughout our country's
history, we renew our commitment to upholding the
democratic ideals they fought and died to preserve.

Each Memorial Day, we pray for peace throughout
the world, remembering what was gained and what
was lost during times of war. From the bravery of the
men at Valley Forge, to the daring of Normandy, the
courage of Iwo Jima, and the steady resolve in
Afghanistan and Iraq, our men and women in uniform
have won for us every hour that we live in freedom.
During this year's observance, we particularly
recognize the courageous spirit of the men and
women in our nation's armed forces who are working
with our coalition partners to restore civil order,
provide critical humanitarian aid, and renew
Afghanistan and Iraq. As we honor those who have
served and have been lost, we better understand the
meaning of patriotism and citizenship, and we pledge
that their sacrifices will not be in vain.

Throughout our history, the decency, character, and
idealism of our military troops have turned enemies
into allies and oppression into hope. In all our
victories, American soldiers have fought to liberate,
not to conquer; and today, the United States joins
with a strong coalition in the noble cause of liberty
and peace for the world. On this day, America honors
her own, but we also recognize the shared victories
and hardships of our allied forces who have served
and fallen alongside our troops.

The noble sacrifices of our service men and women
will not be forgotten. Every name, every life is a loss
to our military, to our nation, and to their loved ones.
Americans stand with the families who grieve, and we
share in their great sorrow and great pride. There will
be no homecoming on this earth for those lost in
battle, but we know that this reunion will one day
come.

In respect for their devotion to America, the
Congress, by a joint resolution approved on May 11,
1950, as amended (64 Stat. 158), has requested the
President to issue a proclamation calling on the
people of the United States to observe each
Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent
peace and designating a period on that day when the
people of the United States might unite in prayer. The
Congress, by Public Law 106-579, has also
designated the minute beginning at 3:00 p.m. local
time on that day as a time for all Americans to
observe the National Moment of Remembrance.

Now, therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim
Memorial Day, May 26, 2003, as a day of prayer for
permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning
in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time to
unite in prayer. I also ask all Americans to observe
the National Moment of Remembrance beginning at
3:00 p.m. local time on Memorial Day. I urge the
press, radio, television, and all other media to
participate in these observances.

I also request the governors of the United States and
the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the
appropriate officials of all units of government, to
direct that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on
this Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and
naval vessels throughout the United States, and in all
areas under its jurisdiction and control. I also request
the people of the United States to display the flag at
half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon
period.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand
this twenty-second day of May, in the year of our
Lord two thousand three, and of the independence of
the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-seventh.

George W. Bush

Memorial Day Links

The White House Commission on the National
Moment of Remembrance, (a.k.a. The White
House Commission on Remembrance)

The Liberty Memorial Museum of World War I

The National WWII Memorial

US Navy Memorial Foundation

Korean War Project

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Virtual Wall

Desert Storm

National D-Day Memorial Foundation

WWII Casualties Seach

American Battle Monuments Commission Cemeteries

Lost Boats - US Submarine Memorial

US Memorial Day - Pearl Harbor Casualties List

USS Arizona Memorial

USS Utah Memorial

Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation

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