Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 3.djvu/1074

 94 STAT. 3718

PROCLAMATION 4723—FEB. 19, 1980

Proclamation 4723 of February 19, 1980

Small Business Week, 1980 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Small business has long played a vital role in our Nation's economy and way of life. This past January, I was honored to participate in the first White House Conference on Small Business. I had the opportunity to hear first-hand, the ideas, problems and aspirations of men and women from the small business community. As a former small businessman, I was impressed with their energy, determination, and above all, their hope for the future of our country. The small business community constitutes the single most important segment of our free enterprise system. It accounts for forty-eight percent of our gross national product, more than half of the American labor force, and continues to be the major source of inventions and new jobs. Small business is truly the backbone of the American economy. I urge my fellow citizens to learn more about its role and importance in our society. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning May 11, 1980, as Small Business Week, and I urgently call on every American to join me in this very special tribute. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourth. JIMMY CARTER

Proclamation 4724 of February 19, 1980

Iwo Jima Commemoration Day By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Thirty-five years ago Americans were pitted in battle on a small, barren island called Iwo Jima. The standard of courage established by the men of the V Marine Amphibious Corps in that battle is unsurpassed. Because we now enjoy the blessings of the freedom for which those men sacrificed so much, it is appropriate for us to reflect upon the high price of that freedom. For 35 days, men of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions fought to secure the strategic island of Iwo Jima. The cost of the eventual American victory was the highest in Marine Corps history: 5,931 dead and 17,272 wounded. Of the over 20,000 Japanese defenders on Iwo Jima, only 1,083 survived. But the victors and the vanquished alike shared uncommon valor as a common virtue.

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