JOURNAL ARCHIVE: 07/31/08
I am not certain how long I was asleep before just now waking up. Just before waking up, I was dreaming that I was standing at the front of a long line of people that were waiting for something to happen at the Smithsonian Institute. The activity was Apollo program related. In one way, I seemed to be studying the faces of people as I saw them in newspaper photographs but in another way which is more consistent with details in the dream, I was actually standing there and in retrospect after waking up from the dream, I seemed to have traveled back in time from some point around the current time. I note that I must have traveled back from this current time because I still did not have full conscious awareness of my true identity. So I was standing there and there were a lot of people inside the building I was standing in front of because I could see them through the windows and there were a lot of people in front of me towards the outside of the building but I cannot visualize hardly any detail in the direction I think of towards the outside. I seemed to be standing in an area that was outside the building but there was an extended overhang with pillars and I cannot visualize what was beyond the pillars except I knew there were a lot of people out there. At one point, President Reagan suddenly appeared in front of me among the people milling about and he had a concerned look on his face and he spoke to another person because walking off to my right and in the direction of all the people lined up behind me. I could not hear anything he said but I spoke "Hello, Mr. President," but he must not have heard me. Something other person did speak to me later on but I do not fully remember all the details or recognize the person except as someone that was waiting there for the activity as I was. Shortly after I saw President Reagan, thoughts were occurring to me that the timeframe was 1983 and the Beirut bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks had not yet occurred. I might have been thinking about whether I would tell President Reagan about that attack if I had spoken to him and if he had recognized me and I was thinking I probably would have told him what I knew about it. There were several other observations I made in the dream but I do not understand as important any of it. I don't remember anything else.
JOURNAL ARCHIVE: 07/31/08
Portico. That sounds similar to that area I was standing in the dream. I was thinking as I was writing about the dream that it vaguely reminded me of the White House.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40673
Remarks to Reporters on the Death of American and French Military Personnel in Beirut, Lebanon
October 23rd, 1983
I'm not going to take any questions this morning because we're going right into meetings on the events that have taken place on this tragic weekend. But I would like to make this statement:
I know there are no words that can express our sorrow and grief over the loss of those splendid young men and the injury to so many others. I know there are no words, also, that can ease the burden of grief for the families of those young men.
Likewise, there are no words to properly express our outrage and, I think, the outrage of all Americans at the despicable act, following as it does on the one perpetrated several months ago, in the spring, that took the lives of scores of people at our Embassy in that same city, in Beirut.
But I think we should all recognize that these deeds make so evident the bestial nature of those who would assume power if they could have their way and drive us out of that area that we must be more determined than ever that they cannot take over that vital and strategic area of the Earth or, for that matter, any other part of the Earth.
Thank you.
Note: The President spoke at 8.'38 a.m. at the South Portico of the White House. He was returning from a weekend stay in Augusta, Ga., after conferring for several hours with his advisers on the bombing incidents.
JOURNAL ARCHIVE: 07/31/08
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40597
Appointment of Richard H. Jones as a Member of the Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum
October 5th, 1983
The President today announced his intention to appoint Richard H. Jones to be a member of the National Air and Space Museum Advisory Board, Smithsonian Institution. He would succeed James P. Moore, Jr.
Mr. Jones is currently an attorney, specializing in aviation law, with the firm of Lewis, Wilson, Lewis & Jones. He has been a captain with Eastern Airlines since 1959.
Mr. Jones graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (B.S., 1958) and American University (LL.B, 1964). He is married, has three children, and resides in Arlington, Va. He was born September 2, 1930, in Portsmouth, Va.
From 9/2/1930 ( Richard H. Jones ) to 3/14/1965 ( I am active duty Central Intelligence Agency officer ) is: 12612 days
12612 = 6306 + 6306
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 6/7/1976 ( my first landing Saturn moon Phoebe and the Saturn moon Phoebe territory belongs to me ) is: 6306 days
From 4/21/1926 ( Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II ) to 9/2/1930 ( Richard H. Jones ) is: 1595 days
From 3/4/1959 ( my birth date UK ) to 7/16/1963 ( my wife ) is: 1595 days
From 9/2/1930 ( Richard H. Jones ) to 12/24/1968 ( I was Apollo 8 spacecraft astronaut in orbit of Earth's moon ) is 1 day, 3 weeks, 459 months
'1-34-59' ( my birth date UK )
From 9/2/1930 ( Richard H. Jones ) to 7/13/1940 ( Patrick Stewart ) is: 3602 days
3602 = 1801 + 1801
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 2/6/1964 ( I was Innsbruck Olympics gold medalist again on this day ) is: 1801 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40597
Appointment of Richard H. Jones as a Member of the Advisory Board of the National Air and Space Museum
October 5th, 1983
The President today announced his intention to appoint Richard H. Jones to be a member of the National Air and Space Museum Advisory Board, Smithsonian Institution. He would succeed James P. Moore, Jr.
Mr. Jones is currently an attorney, specializing in aviation law, with the firm of Lewis, Wilson, Lewis & Jones. He has been a captain with Eastern Airlines since 1959.
Mr. Jones graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (B.S., 1958) and American University (LL.B, 1964). He is married, has three children, and resides in Arlington, Va. He was born September 2, 1930, in Portsmouth, Va.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/perdue
perdue
per·du
hidden; concealed; obscured.
Obsolete. a soldier assigned to a very dangerous mission or position.
Also, per·due.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its shops and its magazine. Most of its facilities are located in Washington, D.C., but its 19 museums, zoo, and 9 research centers include sites in New York City, Virginia, Panama, and elsewhere. It has over 142 million items in its collections.
From 11/11/1966 ( I was Gemini 12 spacecraft astronaut ) to 4/2/1981 ( Proclamation 4830—Law Day, U.S.A., 1981 ) is: 5256 days
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 7/23/1973 ( I passed the Multistate Bar Examination ) is: 5256 days
From 10/9/1971 ( I am board-certified surgeon ) to 4/2/1981 ( Proclamation 4830—Law Day, U.S.A., 1981 ) is 3 days, 3 weeks, 5 months, 9 years
'33-59' ( my birth date US )
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=43633
Proclamation 4830—Law Day, U.S.A., 1981
April 2nd, 1981
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America was founded on the principles of liberty and the rule of law. And throughout our Nation's history, the preservation of individual rights has been dependent upon the dedication of our people to liberty and the institutionalization of its principles in the law of the land.
Our forefathers' dedication to liberty is clearly expressed in this Nation's great Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. These documents, which are the very foundation of American law, guarantee certain inalienable rights and privileges to every citizen. Among these are: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom of contract, the right to assemble and petition, the right of property ownership, and the right to due process of law.
This year marks the Nation's twenty-fourth annual celebration of Law Day, U.S.A.—a special day for reflection on our heritage of individual freedom and for rededication to maintaining, through law, the principles of liberty which govern this land.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, invite the American people to celebrate Friday, May 1, 1981, as Law Day, U.S.A., and to mark its observance with programs and ceremonies as befits our great heritage of liberty under law.
I urge clergymen of all faiths to bring to public attention through sermons and suitable programs the moral and ethical dimensions of law and liberty.
I also urge schools, civic, service and fraternal organizations, public bodies, libraries, the courts, the legal profession, all media of public information and interested individuals and organizations to participate in the observance through programs which will focus on the Law Day 1981 theme: Law-the Language of Liberty. To that end, I call upon all public officials to display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on that day.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of April in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifth.
RONALD REAGAN
From 7/23/1973 ( I passed the Multistate Bar Examination ) to 11/9/1985 ( Prince of Wales and Princess of Wales at White House ) is: 4492 days
From 7/16/1963 ( my wife ) to 11/2/1975 ( I launched from Earth by myself to intercept Comet Lucifer in the outer solar system ) is: 4492 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=38040&st=&st1=
Toasts at a White House Dinner for the Prince and Princess of Wales
November 9th, 1985
The President. Your Royal Highnesses, Sir Oliver and Lady Wright, and Ambassador and Mrs. Price, ladies and gentlemen, Nancy and I are deeply honored to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to the White House. Permit me to add our congratulations to Prince Charles on his birthday, just 5 days away, and express also our great happiness that we have been able to have this affair with Princess Diana, here on her first trip to the United States—that we should be able to share in that first trip.
In his 1941 address before a Joint Session of the United States Congress, Prime Minister Churchill remarked, "I cannot help reflecting that if my father had been American and my mother British, instead of the other way around, I might have got here on my own." [Laughter] But Your Royal Highnesses, the reception you've received here suggests that if you had been American, you might well have gotten to this house on your own. [Laughter]
Our two countries are bound together by innumerable ties of ancient history and present friendship. Our language, our law, our democratic system of government, our fierce belief in the God-given right of men to be free—all of these we owe to you. We've stood together through two great world conflicts. Today we go on, shoulder to shoulder, in an alliance to protect freedom and democracy.
This evening we've gathered on a happy occasion, a celebration of the "Treasure Houses of Britain," perhaps the most magnificent exhibition ever mounted and five centuries of British achievement, five centuries of elegance, beauty, and charm; I should add, wit. When Nancy and I toured the exhibition, we were struck by a settee from Balmoral Castle, constructed almost entirely of deer antlers. I've been wondering ever since whether something like that could be done with cattle horns out on the ranch. [Laughter] But one misadventure in the corral one day has taught me that it might be more painful than pleasant, so— [laughter] . The "Treasure Houses of Britain" truly is a great gift from the houses' owners, the British people, and you, the exhibition's patrons. I speak for all Americans when I say a heartfelt "thank you."
Your Royal Highnesses, in the eyes of my countrymen, you and your family hold a place of high honor; your devotion to duty commands our esteem. Americans join our British cousins in looking upon you with affection and respect. And in that same 1941 address, Winston Churchill said: "It is not given to us to peer into the future. Still I avow my hope and faith, sure and inviolate, that in the days to come, the British and American people will, for their own safety and for the good of all, walk together in majesty, in justice, and in peace." And today that noble hope is a glorious reality.
Would you please join me in a toast to Her Majesty, the Queen. To the Queen.
Prince Charles. Mr. President, Mrs. Reagan, ladies and gentlemen, if I may say so, Mr. President, you really have touched both my wife and myself most deeply this evening by your extremely kind words. And we can't possibly, both of us, thank you enough for your immense hospitality and your great kindness in having us here this evening and in making us feel so unbelievably welcome.
I would think one of the most marvelous things about coming to the United States is that you have this extraordinary gift for making people feel welcome. And apart from the friendliness with which you greet everybody, it really does warm the heart to come here and be made to feel welcome. I can't tell you what it means to us both. It really does. As you know, we've flown in hesitant stages from Australia and tried to stop on the way in order to regain our strength. And all that's happened is we're suffering terribly from jet lag. [Laughter] And I've yet to discover a foolproof method for actually getting one over the problems of this particular affliction.
However, we are greatly looking forward to the opportunity of seeing this exhibition, the "Treasure Houses of Britain," which we are both very proud to be patrons of. And we hear from all sides just how stupendous this particular exhibition is. I think if you go and look at most of the country houses in Britain at the moment, you'll find them completely empty— [laughter] —of all the furniture and pictures, some emptier than others and, no doubt, with rather dirty marks on the walls where the pictures were. I only hope that they manage to get them all back in the right place at the right time. [Laughter]
I'm also very much looking forward, myself, to going to the Congress Library on Monday and discussing something about the Constitution, of which I know you celebrate the bicentenary in 1987. And I was very intrigued to discover that of the 55 delegates that came to the Federal convention in 1787, nearly all of them were in their thirties, which just goes to show what an extremely good age the mid-thirties is. [Laughter] I keep telling myself that because you reminded me about my birthday, and I'm not sure I need reminding. [Laughter]
I would also just like to say that coming, as we have, down from Australia, it is one of the more interesting aspects, I think, of the pioneering spirit of the English-speaking peoples. That here were two great continents—Australia and the United States of America, the former having developed about 150 years later than this great country-and in many ways there are similarities between the two. And I think that one of the things that becomes most obvious about Australia and America is that personal independence becomes a very dominant feature, particularly, I think, in American life. And one Englishman observed in 1796 that Americans tend to pass their lives without any regard to the smiles or frowns of men in power. However, in your case, Mr. President, I'm sure it's completely different.
So, if I may, finally, again say what an enormous pleasure it gives both of us to be here and how proud we are to be able to represent Britain here in America. As you say, it does, I think, emphasize the very strong links that do exist between our two countries—always have done, and I'm sure always will. And in the end, that bond between our two peoples is one of the most important and enduring features of this Earth.
Mr. President, thank you very much.
Note: The President spoke at 10:09 p.m. in the State Dining Room at the White House. In his opening remarks, he referred to Sir Oliver Wright, British Ambassador to the United States, and Charles H. Price II, U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
From 3/4/1959 ( my birth date UK ) to 11/26/1976 ( my first landing Jupiter moon Callisto ) is: 6477 days
From 2/9/1964 ( I was multiple Olympic gold medalist during Innsbruck Olympics ) to 11/3/1981 ( Proclamation 4882—National Family Week ) is: 6477 days
From 7/16/1963 ( my wife ) to 11/26/1976 ( my first landing Jupiter moon Callisto ) is: 4882 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=43204&st=&st1=
Proclamation 4882—National Family Week
November 3rd, 1981
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The family is the basic unit of our society, the heart of our free democracy. It provides love, acceptance, guidance, support, and instruction to the individual. Community values and goals that give America strength also take root in the home. In times of change and challenge, families keep safe our cultural heritage and reinforce our spiritual foundation.
As the mainstay of our national life, family life must be preserved. When a family needs external assistance to help it to perform its unique role, this assistance should not interfere with the family's fundamental responsibilities and prerogatives. Rather, aid should be supportive and purposeful in strengthening the family's stability, self-sufficiency and permanence.
National Family Week is a time to be thankful for the family as a national heritage and resource. It is a time to recommit ourselves to the concept of the family—a concept that must withstand the trends of lifestyle and legislation. Let us pledge that our institutions and policies will be shaped to enhance an environment in which families can strengthen their ties and best exercise their beliefs, authority, and resourcefulness. And let us make our pledge mindful that we do so not only on behalf of individual family members, but for America.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Senate Joint Resolution 4, do hereby proclaim the week beginning November 22, 1981, as National Family Week. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate activities in their homes and communities.
In Witness Whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and sixth.
RONALD REAGAN
From 2/17/1965 ( I am active duty U.S. Navy SEAL ) to 11/12/1982 ( Proclamation 4999—National Family Week, 1982 ) is: 6477 days
From 3/4/1959 ( my birth date UK ) to 11/26/1976 ( my first landing Jupiter moon Callisto ) is: 6477 days
From 12/25/1968 ( I was Apollo 8 spacecraft astronaut in orbit of Earth's moon ) to 11/12/1982 ( Proclamation 4999—National Family Week, 1982 ) is: 5070 days
From 9/2/1965 ( my first day at Princeton University where I earned Medical Doctor degree ) to 7/21/1979 ( my wife Phoebe and I are married ) is: 5070 days
From 6/7/1976 ( my first landing Saturn moon Phoebe and the Saturn moon Phoebe territory belongs to me ) to 11/12/1982 ( Proclamation 4999—National Family Week, 1982 ) is: 2349 days
From 11/8/1970 ( my first ascent to Mount Everest summit ) to 4/14/1977 ( I returned to Earth after successfully diverting Comet Lucifer in the outer solar system ) is: 2349 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=41987
Proclamation 4999—National Family Week, 1982
November 12th, 1982
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The family has always been the cornerstone of American society. Our families nurture, preserve and pass on to each succeeding generation the values we share and cherish, values that are the foundation for our freedoms. In the family we learn our first lessons of God and man, love and discipline, rights and responsibilities, human dignity and human frailty.
Our families give us daily examples of these lessons being put into practice. In raising and instructing our children; in providing personal and compassionate care for the elderly; in bringing the handicapped into the mainstream of community life; in maintaining the spiritual strength of religious commitment among our people—in these and other ways, America's families make immeasurable contributions to America's well-being.
Today, more than ever, it is essential that these contributions not be taken for granted and that each of us remember that the strength of our families is vital to the strength of our Nation. Recognizing that the family is a national heritage and resource, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 190, has requested that the week of November 21 through 27, 1982, be designated as National Family Week.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of November 21 through 27, 1982, as National Family Week. I applaud the countless mothers and fathers who have committed their lives to supporting families, whether by working in the marketplace to provide financial support or by working in the home to raise children. I also applaud those who, through adoption and foster care, have gone the extra mile to provide families for those who otherwise would have none.
I invite the Governors of the several States, the chief officials of local governments and all our citizens to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. During a week in which we will also observe Thanksgiving Day, I especially invite all Americans to give thanks for the family relationships with which we have been blessed.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of Nov., in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eightytwo, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventh.
RONALD REAGAN
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php
Search Results : Using keyword(s) [ National Family Week FROM 1981 to 1988]
November 3rd, 1981 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 4882—National Family Week
November 12th, 1982 Ronald Reagan Remarks on Signing the National Family Week Proclamation
November 12th, 1982 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 4999—National Family Week, 1982
November 4th, 1983 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 5126—National Family Week, 1983
November 15th, 1984 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 5281—National Family Week, 1984
October 28th, 1985 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 5399—National Family Week, 1985
November 21st, 1986 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 5576—National Family Week, 1986
November 19th, 1987 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 5747—National Family Week, 1987
November 19th, 1988 Ronald Reagan Proclamation 5912—National Family Week, 1988
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 11/4/1983 ( Proclamation 5126—National Family Week, 1983 ) is: 9012 days
9012 = 4506 + 4506
From 2/5/1964 ( I was Innsbruck Olympics gold medalist again on this day ) to 6/7/1976 ( my first landing Saturn moon Phoebe and the Saturn moon Phoebe territory belongs to me ) is: 4506 days
From 11/15/1966 ( Gemini 12 spacecraft splashdown and I was Gemini 12 astronaut ) to 11/4/1983 ( Proclamation 5126—National Family Week, 1983 ) is: 6198 days
From 5/12/1965 ( I am active duty U.S. Navy aviator ) to 5/1/1982 ( my graduation and commissioning U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1982 ) is: 6198 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=40730
Proclamation 5126—National Family Week, 1983
November 4th, 1983
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The family and family life are central to our American heritage. Family bonds give us an anchor in the past, as well as hope for the future. It is within the family that tradition is created, individuals grow, and faith is nurtured. Through family living, we discover who we are, how to interact with our fellowman, and the values that make a free society possible.
From 2/5/1971 ( I was Apollo 14 Antares command astronaut walking on Earth's moon ) to 11/15/1984 ( Proclamation 5281—National Family Week, 1984 ) is: 5032 days
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 12/11/1972 ( I was Apollo 17 Challenger astronaut walking on Earth's moon ) is: 5032 days
From 12/14/1972 ( I was Apollo 17 Challenger astronaut walking on Earth's moon ) to 11/15/1984 ( Proclamation 5281—National Family Week, 1984 ) is: 4354 days
4354 = 2177 + 2177
From 3/4/1959 ( my birth date UK ) to 2/17/1965 ( I am active duty U.S. Navy SEAL ) is: 2177 days
From 7/16/1981 ( my wife ) to 11/15/1984 ( Proclamation 5281—National Family Week, 1984 ) is: 1218 days
From 7/16/1963 ( my wife ) to 11/15/1966 ( Gemini 12 spacecraft splashdown and I was Gemini 12 astronaut ) is: 1218 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=39429
Proclamation 5281—National Family Week, 1984
November 15th, 1984
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
Strong families are the foundation of society. Through them we pass on our traditions, rituals, and values. From them we receive the love, encouragement, and education needed to meet human challenges. Family life provides opportunities and time for the spiritual growth that fosters generosity of spirit and responsible citizenship.
From 11/15/1966 ( Gemini 12 spacecraft splashdown and I was Gemini 12 astronaut ) to 10/28/1985 ( Proclamation 5399—National Family Week, 1985 ) is: 6922 days
6922 = 3461 + 3461
From 1/31/1964 ( I was Innsbruck Olympics gold medalist on this day ) to 7/23/1973 ( I passed the Multistate Bar Examination ) is: 3461 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=37976
Proclamation 5399—National Family Week, 1985
October 28th, 1985
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
America's families are America's greatest strength. Just as American society is more than the sum of its parts, families are more than just collections of individuals.
It is within the family that we first gain an understanding of who we are; that we learn to give and receive love; that we learn to respect the individuality of others; that we grow to be strong, healthy adults able to take our place in the larger families of community, country, and the world. Through the family we pass on our traditions, our rituals, and our values. From our families we receive the love, encouragement, and education needed to meet life's challenges. Family life also provides a stimulus for the spiritual growth that fosters probity of character, generosity of spirit, and responsible citizenship.
From 5/21/1969 ( I am Princeton University medical doctor degree graduate ) to 9/19/1986 ( National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day, 1986 ) is: 6330 days
From 3/4/1959 ( my birth date UK ) to 7/2/1976 ( I intercepted the comet in the outer solar system and set to work at diverting it ) is: 6330 days
From 12/24/1968 ( I was Apollo 8 astronaut in orbit of Earth's moon ) to 9/19/1986 ( National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day, 1986 ) is: 6478 days
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 11/26/1976 ( my first landing Jupiter moon Callisto ) is: 6478 days
From 3/3/1959 ( my birth date US ) to 9/19/1986 ( National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day, 1986 ) is: 10062 days
10062 = 5031 + 5031
From 3/4/1959 ( my birth date UK ) to 12/11/1972 ( I was Apollo 17 Challenger astronaut walking on the Earth's moon ) is: 5031 days
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=37786&st=&st1=
Proclamation 5520—National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day, 1986
August 28th, 1986
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Courage and sacrifice are no strangers to America. In every war since our first struggle for independence, America's prisoners of war have endured terrible hardships and have been called upon to make extraordinary sacrifices. The bravery, perseverance, and profound devotion to duty of our POWs and MIAs have earned them a place of honor in the hearts of all Americans. Their heroism is an inspiration to future generations. Their spirit of hope and their commitment to the defense of freedom are a claim on our loyalty to them.
All Americans are also deeply moved by the pain and suffering endured by the families and friends of those who remain missing or unaccounted for. We share both their burden and their commitment to secure the release of any U.S. personnel who may still be held against their will, to recover the missing, to resolve the accounting, and to relieve the suffering of our missing servicemen. Until the P.O.W./M.I.A. issue has been resolved, it will continue to be a matter of the highest national priority. As a symbol of this national commitment, the P.O.W./M.I.A. Flag will fly over the White House, the Departments of State and Defense, the Veterans' Administration, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on September 19, 1986. It will also fly over the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
In order to recognize the special debt all Americans owe to the men and women who gave up their freedom in the service of our country and to reaffirm our commitment to their families, the Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 220, has designated September 19, 1986, as "National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day," and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this occasion.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Friday, September 19, 1986, as National P.O.W./M.I.A. Recognition Day. I call on all Americans to join in honoring all former American prisoners of war, those still missing, and their families who have made extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of this country. I also call upon State and local officials and private organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.
RONALD REAGAN
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=36753
Proclamation 5576—National Family Week, 1986
November 21st, 1986
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Family life and the life of freedom are interdependent. In the arena of the family, children learn the most important lessons they will ever receive about their inherent dignity as individuals. They learn as well about the social and religious traditions that unite generation to generation, and they begin to acquire the values for which their ancestors sacrificed so much for freedom.
The centrality of the family is acknowledged even by those forces that would weaken or destroy it. Totalitarian societies see in the family a natural enemy, a bulwark of basic loyalties and inherited ideals that places allegiance in relationships that precede the claims of the state. Corrosive influences such as illegal drugs and pornography seek to substitute for the permanent bonds of family life a transient and ultimately false sense of happiness and fulfillment. Against these forces the family can often seem helpless and ineffective, but experience shows that it is in being tested that the strength of the family finally reveals itself. After all, the family has been with us from the dawn of human history, and there is no reason to believe that it will not endure.
National Family Week affords all Americans the opportunity to frankly face and assess the quality of family life in our Nation and to reflect on what each of us can do as a father, daughter, mother, son, or grandparent—as a member of a family-to strengthen this divine institution. Better yet, let us undertake this reflection as families and as a family of free people. As Chesterton said, "The family is the test of freedom." Let us make this another test America refuses to fail.
The Congress, by Public Law 99-94, has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of "National Family Week."
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of November 23, 1986, as National Family Week. I invite the Governors of the several States, the chief officials of local governments, and all Americans to celebrate this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Taking note that this observance coincides with the celebration of Thanksgiving, I ask that all Americans give thanks to God on that day for the blessings of family life in our Nation and for His continued favor on our people.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh.
RONALD REAGAN
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=33715&st=&st1=
Proclamation 5747—National Family Week, 1987
November 19, 1987
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The destiny of America is shaped not only by events within the councils of government, industry, and finance, but also by the hand of God and the life and the love in each and every home in our Nation. America's families are a tremendous source of strength and faith and freedom for our children and our country, and during National Family Week we recognize this truth and pay glad tribute to the families of our land.
The family is a source of well-being, a place to give and receive love and to learn and live our traditions and the virtues and the values of responsibility, selflessness and self-reliance, loyalty, mutual respect, fairness, and the power of faith. In families we also come to know our inherent dignity and worth as individuals and to enjoy the Godgiven rights that are the basis of freedom.
We must remember during National Family Week, and especially during the Bicentennial of the Constitution, that freedom, the family, and the individual have everything to do with each other. That is a truth that the Founders of our country knew well. The more the integrity of the family is fostered—the more social and public policy influences that weaken the family are eliminated—the stronger is freedom and the healthier is society. Let us forever remember this personally and as a people, for the good of our families and the good of our country.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-166, has authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week of November 22 through November 28, 1987, as "National Family Week."
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of November 22 through 28, 1987, as National Family Week. I invite the Governors of the several States, the chief officials of local governments, and all Americans to celebrate this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth.
RONALD REAGAN
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=35197&st=&st1=
Proclamation 5912—National Family Week, 1988
November 19, 1988
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The family, the birth- and dwelling-place of natural and self-sacrificing love, is the first of all social contracts. Rooted in the designs of the Creator and reinforced through the wise devices of the law, the family is the sum of a nation's heritage and the heart of a nation's strength. It is, moreover, the original mirror of mankind's hope for a world founded on bonds of tradition and affection, where the individual is cherished for his unalienable worth, the past revered for its accumulation of knowledge and insight, and the future honored for its power to restore and renew.
With all the diversity of its population, the United States has drawn unmatched strength from the confluence of peoples who value and celebrate the importance of family life. During this particular week, as families gather around the table of thanksgiving, it is especially appropriate that we pause as a Nation to acknowledge the blessings of love and fealty that families confer on their members and, through them, on the larger community.
It is also appropriate that we use this occasion to reflect on the truth that even though the family has proven to be the most durable of all institutions, its vitality is not guaranteed under all conditions. In the past few decades, as a host of new pressures have placed fresh strains on the health of family life in our society, a process of restoration has begun. Policymakers at all levels of government, and leaders in religion and the social sciences, are taking a closer look at the cultural and legal forces undermining the well-being of families. Recognition is at last being given to the fact that no strategy for reducing the tremendous costs of remedial efforts to combat crime and poverty will succeed if we fail to focus first on strengthening the family.
In the years to come, this process of rebuilding must continue. As it does so, we can all take heart in knowing that, to paraphrase a famous epigram, reports of the death of the family have been greatly exaggerated. For as long as the human heart wills to keep for itself a special place of understanding, welcome, and healing—in short, a hearth and a home—the family will endure and prosper.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of November 20 through November 26, 1988, as National Family Week, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs, gatherings, ceremonies, and other activities.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirteenth.
RONALD REAGAN
