Proclamation 4217.

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87 Stat. 1209 PROCLAMATION 4217 Mother’s Day, 1973 By the President of the United States of America May 11, 1973 A Proclamation For nearly 60 years, this Nation has set aside one day each year to recognize the enormous responsibility a mother bears for the development of her children and our future citizens. Mother’s Day also provides a special opportunity for a grateful Nation to pay tribute to other contributions that the mothers of America are making to our national life. Today we are in the midst of a national movement to ensure equal rights for women.

This movement has helped bring millions of additional women into the work force, performing highly skilled and challenging jobs—many of them previously filled by men. Great numbers of these women are mothers who are pursuing careers even while they continue to carry out major family responsibilities. American women have made wide-ranging contributions to our country throughout its history. Pioneer women helped push westward the American frontier. Women have filled countless industrial positions in wartime when men have entered the Armed Forces.

In medicine, science, law, education and every other profession, women have helped this country achieve unparalleled successes. It is appropriate on this Mother’s Day that we honor mothers of every generation: —Older mothers, many of whom are widowed and living alone. —Mothers in their middle years who began careers after their children were grown. —Younger mothers who devote full time to their family responsibilities. —Mothers who, in addition to their vital role at home, are engaged in volunteer service or employment that is of inestimable value to our economy and the quality of American life.

And particularly, this year, we honor the mothers and wives of those who served in the Vietnam war, especially those whose loved ones lost their lives or were held as prisoners of war. 87 Stat. 1210 [36 USC 142](/us/usc/t36/s142).The Congress, by a joint resolution of May 8, 1914 (38 Stat. 770), designated the second Sunday of May each year as a day on which to honor all mothers for their countless contributions to their families, their communities, and the Nation. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America do hereby request that Sunday, May 13, 1973, be observed as Mother’s Day.

I urge Government officials and all citizens to mark that day by displaying the flag of the United States and by participating in appropriate observances. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4218 May 25, 1973 Prayer for Peace Memorial Day, May 28, 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4218 Prayer for Peace Memorial Day, May 28, 1973 May 25, 1973 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation This day of memorial to those who have given their lives to preserve America’s freedom over the centuries has special meaning for us in 1973.

The longest and most difficult war in our history is over. The brave men who served so well in that conflict are home again; our valiant prisoners are free at last and reunited with their loved ones—all made possible by the firm resolve of the American people. Thus our prayers for peace this day are also prayers of thanksgiving. Through our history we have seen despotisms and ideologies come and declare themselves the wave of the future, crushing freedom under foot—but each has passed, and freedom, sure as spring, has pushed up through the ruins again to reaffirm the essential dignity of man.

Americans have been on the side of that dignity in every war we have fought. Today, freedom survives in South Vietnam, and generations hence, the literature of liberty will tell that America demonstrated fully and finally its great commitment to its founding principles by fighting on behalf of just eighteen million people half a world away—and by achieving at last what we fought for. 87 Stat. 1211 Those who stood at Hue and Khe Sanh were the spiritual descendants of the heroes of Chosin, Bastogne, Gettysburg, and Lexington.

The patriotic line continues unbroken. America called, and the answer came back yes. Now those soldiers and sailors and airmen who have kept freedom’s faith look to America—not for thanks, but to know if we have marked their deeds and if, in the way we live our freedom, we are determined to be worthy of those deeds. Only by working to make war obsolete in the future can we truly redeem the sacrifices of patriots who fell in the wars of the past. The tensions which still exist among nations will yield to negotiation if we are steadfast in our purpose and patient in our endeavor.

New relationships are already taking shape, pointing to the creation of a more stable and open world, a world in which hatred and discrimination are replaced by brotherhood and understanding—above all, a world free forever of fear and want and war. This is the dream for which generations of American fighting men have made the ultimate sacrifice, from the bridge at Concord to the jungles of Vietnam. It can be achieved. Their sacrifices have moved us ever closer to it. The Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, has [64 Stat. 158](/us/stat/64/158).requested the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 1973, as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour beginning in each locality at 11 o’clock in the morning of that day as a time to unite in prayer. I urge the press, radio, television, and all other information media to cooperate in this observance. As a special mark of respect for those Americans who have given their lives in the war in Vietnam, I direct that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff all day on Memorial Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels of the Federal Government throughout the United States and all areas under its jurisdiction and control.

I also request the Governors of the United States and of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the appropriate officials of all local units of government to direct that the flag be flown at half-staff on all public buildings during that entire day, and request the people of the United States to display the flag at half-staff from their homes for the same period. 87 Stat. 1212 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of May, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4219 June 4, 1973 World Environment Day Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4219 World Environment Day June 4, 1973 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation As the astronauts of Skylab I orbit the earth in America’s first manned space station, we are mindful once again of the essential unity of mankind—bound together by the finite resources of one small planet.

One of the chief concerns of this and subsequent space missions will be the resources of the earth and the quality of its environment. As before, our findings will form the basis for positive contributions to our fellow man. But we do not have to rely upon the results of space research to improve the earth’s environment. All men and women have a personal role to play in this vital endeavor. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held last June, with the participation of one hundred and thirteen nations, was a reflection of the increased understanding of all mankind that environmental quality is everybody’s business—superseding any temporary differences which may hamper relations between nations.

In response to a resolution of the Conference on the Human Environment, the United Nations General Assembly last December endorsed a recommendation reading, in part, as follows: “The General Assembly . . . designates 5 June as World Environment Day and urges Governments and the organizations in the United Nations System to undertake on that day every year worldwide activities reaffirming their concern for the preservation and enhancement of the environment, with a view to deepening environmental awareness and to pursuing the determination expressed at the Conference.

” NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do, in support of the action of the United Nations General Assembly, call on the people of the United States and United States Government agencies to observe June 5 as World Environ-87 Stat. 1213ment Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities emphasizing the concern of Americans for a better environment in which to live. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of June in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4220 June 8, 1973 Flag Day and National Flag Week, 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4220 Flag Day and National Flag Week, 1973 By the President of the United States of America June 8, 1973 A Proclamation The outcome of the American Revolution was far from settled on June 14, 1777, when the Congress resolved that the flag of the United States should have 13 stripes, alternating red and white, and 13 white stars in a field of blue “representing the new constellation.

” The creation of this fresh banner in a New World where European powers long had contended for domination signified the new unity of the American people and their determination to win their independence. Although the constellation of stars has expanded from 13 to 50 since the 18th century, the flag we revere today has changed very little in the intervening 196 years. It continues to represent our common devotion to the principles of freedom and equality which have sustained Americans ever since those uncertain days when independence was yet to be won.

To commemorate the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as our country’s flag, the Congress, by a joint resolution of August 3, 1949 (63 Stat. 492), [36 USC 157](/us/usc/t36/s157).designated June 14 of each year as Flag Day and requested the President to issue annually a proclamation calling for its observance. The Congress has also requested the President, by a joint resolution of June 9, 1966 (80 Stat. 194), to issue annually a proclamation designating the week in [36 USC 157a](/us/usc/t36/s157a).which June 14 occurs as National Flag Week and calling upon all the citizens of the United States to fly the flag of the United States on the days of that week. 87 Stat. 1214 NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the week beginning June 10, 1973, 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, June 14, and National Flag Week by flying the Stars and Stripes from their homes and other suitable places. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4221 June 11, 1973 American Education Week, 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4221 American Education Week, 1973 June 11, 1973 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation More than physical resources or industrial capacity, this Nation’s greatest asset is its people.

Americans are both a heterogeneous and a homogeneous people, diverse in our multicultural heritage, in our varied talents, in our personal goals. Yet we are also a homogeneous people in our dedication to certain national objectives, among them the goal of broadening and enriching the American experience for our children and their children. One constant theme in our national story from its very beginnings has been our faith in education and our commitment to its advancement. Educational institutions can be strong and effective only if they receive broad public support and continuing public attention.

That is why it is so appropriate that the theme for American Education Week this year is “Get Involved.” There are many ways for individual Americans to “get involved” in education. For those who hold leadership positions in their communities, getting involved can mean strong support for needed innovation. For those whose profession is education, getting involved can mean subjecting proposed reforms to the most rigorous test of all: Will they benefit students? 87 Stat. 1215 But “getting involved” is appropriate advice for other Americans too.

For the businessman who understands the give-and-take of the marketplace, for the oceanographer who understands the mystic cycles of the sea, for the writer who understands the beauty and power of words, getting involved can mean sharing knowledge and enthusiasm with young people struggling to make their own career decisions. Getting involved can mean taking the time to help a handicapped child learn to read. It can mean raising the aspirations of a disadvantaged child by listening to his hopes and dreams—and by caring about them.

It can mean working with gifted young people to help them channel their creativity into productive outlets. Above all, getting involved means giving support to the dedicated men and women who are entrusted with the education of our children. They are trained professionals who welcome constructive change. They deserve our confidence. Education should be everyone’s concern, for the knowledge and values imparted to our youth today will determine our future as a people. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the week of October 21–27, 1973, as American Education Week.

I urge all Americans to join with me during this period in a reaffirmation of faith in our educational system and a new dedication to helping that system meet the challenges that now confront it. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4222 June 14, 1973 Honor America, 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4222 Honor America, 1973 By the President of the United States of America June 14, 1973 A Proclamation This year, for the first time in a dozen years, America will be at peace on Independence Day.

For the first time in a generation, none of our young men will be drafted into the armed services. 87 Stat. 1216 Clearly there is much for which we should be thankful. Equally so, we have much upon which to reflect: not only the challenges that still lie ahead but also the qualities of mind and soul that have brought us through the trials of the past and have kept us a great people. National holidays have traditionally provided us with opportunities for such reflection and celebration.

Flag Day, celebrated June 14th, is one Such day; Independence Day is another. Between the two is a 21-day interval. This year—a year when all of us pray that we may be entering a new era of peace and goodwill among men—it seems particularly fitting that we mark this 21-day period in a very special way. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate the period beginning June 14, 1973 and extending through July 4, 1973 as a 21-day salute to our country.

“HONOR AMERICA” shall be the theme for this salute. I call on all Americans to join during this period in appropriate public observances and personal activities which will express their love for this country, their respect for its past and their dedication to its future. This should not be a time in which we ignore our country’s problems. But it should be a time in which we gain renewed appreciation for those physical and spiritual resources which can enable us to meet those problems—and to make our great Nation greater still.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4223 June 14, 1973 Commemorating the Opening of the Upper Mississippi River Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4223 Commemorating the Opening of the Upper Mississippi River June 14, 1973 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Three hundred years ago two French explorers led a small band of men in search of a river the Indians called the Mississippi.

It was their 87 Stat. 1217hope that the river would lead to the Pacific Ocean and give access to the riches of the Orient. Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet never reached the Pacific, but their mission was an immense success, for the river they found has brought America wealth beyond measure. The waters of the Mississippi are the most wide-ranging navigation system in the land; they provide recreational opportunities for millions of Americans; they have been the source of all history and culture that enriches the lives of us all; they nurture our farms and our cities; and they bind our people and the shores of our land from sea to sea.

To commemorate the opening of the upper Mississippi River by Marquette and Jolliet, the Congress, by House Joint Resolution 533, *Ante*, p. 74.has asked that June 17, 1973 be designated as a day of commemoration of this event. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate June 17, 1973, as a day of commemoration of the opening of the upper Mississippi River by Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673, and I call upon the people of the United States to join together in acknowledging and appreciating one of our Nation’s greatest natural resources and one of the most significant wellsprings of our cultural heritage.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4224 June 15, 1973 Father’s Day, 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4224 Father’s Day, 1973 By the President of the United States of America June 15, 1973 A Proclamation Each year, the third Sunday in June is set aside to honor the American father.

In a complex and sometimes coldly impersonal age, Father’s Day brings us back to basics. A basic unit of our society is the family which a father helps to form and hold together. A basic force in our economic life is the work a father does to provide for his wife and children. One of the strongest leadership 87 Stat. 1218influences forming the character of our young people is the example a father sets for his sons and daughters. The very identity through which we know ourselves is rooted in surnames proudly inherited from our fathers and their fathers before them.

All of these things are part of what fatherhood means, yet the whole is also more than the sum of its parts. At its heart is the timeless impulse, commonplace yet wonderfully noble, that moves man to partnership with woman and both to the raising of children, children for whom they strive to build a home and a world a little better than what they themselves have known before. It is the American father’s glory that he works to make each day of the year his family’s; it is our proper tribute to him, that we should join to make this one day his.

On this Father’s Day we again have the opportunity to pay a justly deserved tribute to the counselors, providers, arbiters, and leaders who are our fathers. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, in accordance with a joint resolution of the [86 Stat. 124](/us/stat/86/124).[36 USC 142a](/us/usc/t36/s142a).Congress approved April 24, 1972, do hereby request that June 17, 1973, be observed as Father’s Day. I invite the governments of the States and communities to observe Father’s Day with appropriate ceremonies, and I urge all our people to offer public and private expressions on that day of the abiding love and gratitude which they bear for the fathers of America.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4225 June 15, 1973 National Autistic Children’s Week 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation PROCLAMATION 4225 National Autistic Children’s Week 1973 June 15, 1973 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation One of the most cruel and difficult to understand of all childhood mental disorders is the baffling condition known as childhood autism. 87 Stat. 1219 The autistic child does not develop normal speech, make full contact with the world about him, or learn in the usual way from those who seek to reach him in his seclusion of silence or gibberish.

It is estimated that about four children in every 10,000 are autistic. Without special education and care, nearly all are faced with a life of confinement at home or in an institution for the mentally ill. The human costs are equally disturbing; not only do autistic children lead wasted lives but the lives of their parents are scarred by feelings of frustration as they and others seek to understand the bizarre behavior of the children and try to find help in the community. Autistic children first received medical recognition as a special group in 1943.

Now, thirty years later, the underlying causes of early childhood autism are still unknown, and there is no specific treatment. Furthermore, almost all autistic children continue to be excluded from existing school systems. The outlook is not without hope, however. Many experts continue to express cautious optimism that somewhere there is a solution to this frustrating mystery—a chemical key, a treatment approach, or a pivotal research discovery that will unlock the autistic child from his forced isolation.

To provide greater public recognition of the plight of these children the Congress has, by a Joint Resolution which I approved today, *Ante*, p. 74.called upon me to proclaim the last week of June, 1973, as National Autistic Children’s Week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD NIXON, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of June 24 through June 30, 1973, as National Autistic Children’s Week. I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and officials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to issue similar proclamations.

I urge the people of the United States and educational, philanthropic, scientific, medical, and health care organizations and professionals to provide the educational and other care services needed by autistic children and to support aggressive research efforts to discover the causes and cure of childhood autism and thus alleviate the suffering of persons struck by this tragic disorder. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-three and of the Independence of the United States of America, the one hundred ninety-seventh. 4226 June 16, 1973 White Cane Safety Day, 1973 Digitization Vendor By the President of the United States of America Proclamation

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