Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/3663

 123STA T . 3 64 3 PROCL A M AT I O N8 3 75— MA Y 8 , 2 0 0 9TheCongr e s s ,byPu b licLaw10 0 –3 0 7 ,asa m en d ed, has called on t he President to issue each year a p roclamation designating the f irst Thurs - day in M ayasa ‘ ‘ N ational D ay of Prayer .’ ’ N OW ,T HER E F ORE, I , BA RAC K OBAMA, President of the U nited S tates of America, do hereby proclaim May 7, 2 00 9, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon Americans to pray in than k sgi v ing for our free- doms and blessings and to ask for G od’s continued guidance, grace, and protection for this land that we love. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- third. BARACK OBAMA Proclam a ti o n8375 o fM a y 8 ,20 0 9Mil i tarySpouseD ay ,20 0 9BythePr e sid e n t of the U nited S t a tes of Am eri c a A Proc l amation Military spouses share the sacrifices of service with our Nation’s men and women in uniform. As members of the Armed Forces serve in the United States and across the world, military spouses also serve our Na- tion. When a servicemember goes to war, we know their spouse also shares in that sacrifice. I am inspired by their commitment to family and our Nation, and on Military Spouse Day, we honor these individ- uals for their contributions. Wives and husbands of servicemembers display an uncommon courage and strength as they steadfastly support their spouses during long and arduous deployments. While they endure separations that are filled with worry and an x iety, they face uni q ue stresses. Foremost is the con- cern about the safety and well-being of deployed loved ones, but there are many other challenges. From managing household finances to com- forting children impacted by a military parent’s absence, military spouses take on the burdens of maintaining families largely on their own. This task is complicated even more as spouses work to maintain careers and a sense of community while moving to new duty stations around the country and the world. Despite these hardships, military spouses are an inexhaustible source of strength for our military families and donate their time generously to local communities. Military spouses offer the love and encourage- ment that help servicemembers endure the challenges of serving our Nation. Military spouses support one another as friends and mentors. They serve in family readiness groups to keep fellow spouses informed and to provide mutual support. They contribute as volunteers to im- prove neighborhoods, military installations, and communities. These contributions strengthen both our Nation’s character and its security. All Americans should express appreciation for military spouses and let them know they are not alone. To help those who need it, friends, co- workers, and neighbors can offer to help with the burden of daily tasks