Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 123.djvu/3673

 123STA T . 3 65 3 PROCL A M AT I O N8 38 4— MA Y 2 0, 200 9Proclam a ti o n83 8 4 o fM a y20, 200 9Nation a lM a r iti meD a y,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 Americansh a v e lo n g loo k e dt otheseaasaso u rce o f securit y and p ros - perity .B ounded b yt w o oceans and the G ulf of M e x ico , and criss- crossed by a myriad of inland waterways, America ’ s destiny as a mari- time nation was a story foretold. T he Merchant Marine took up arms alongside the C ontinental N avy to help defeat the British Navy during the American R evolution. S ince then, they have served bravely as the U nited States has faced threats ranging from war to piracy, and our seafaring fleet has proven instru- mental in protecting our safety. I n times of conflict and crisis, the Armed F orces rely on the Merchant Marine’s sealift capability to trans- port critical e q uipment and supplies. Time and again, mariners have demonstrated their willingness and ability to meet daunting challenges. W aterways have also enabled much of the commerce that has ex- panded America’s economy. D omestic and international commerce oc- curred along rivers and coasts even before our Nation’s birth. Great cit- ies have sprouted near waterways, and maritime activity remains cru- cial to our economy today. The men and women of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the many other workers who have supported the maritime industry have made signifi- cant contributions to our leadership in the global marketplace, and to our security. O n this National Maritime Day, we also mark the opening of a perma- nent exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution, ‘ ‘On the Water.’’ It dem- onstrates the importance of the maritime industry and chronicles our history as a maritime nation. The Congress, by a j oint resolution approved May 20, 193 3, has des- ignated May 22 of each year as ‘‘National Maritime Day’’ and has au- thori z ed and requested the P resident to issue annually a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance. NOW, T HE REFORE, I, BARAC K OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 22, 2009, as National Mari- time Day. I call upon the people of the United States to mark this ob- servance by honoring the service of merchant mariners and by dis- playing the flag of the United States at their homes and in their com- munities. I also request that all ships sailing under the American flag dress ship on that day. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of May, in the year of our L ord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third. BARACK OBAMA