IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first. JIMMY CARTER Proclamation 4489 February 25, 1977 Red Cross Month, 1977 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation For 96 years, the American Red Cross has symbolized the best in our society. Its hundreds of thousands of volunteers have generously given of themselves to provide a wide range of important, necessary services. Many Americans think of the Red Cross in connection with disaster relief. It is right that they should. Last year the Red Cross responded more than 32,000 times— once every sixteen minutes, on the average-to disaster situations in our country, coping with the emergency needs of victims and doing those things that a good neighbor does in time of trouble. But the Red Cross does much more. Through its network of blood centers and with the help of voluntary donors, the Red Cross meets over half the country's needs for blood-an essential resource for healing the sick and injured. The men and women of our armed services depend on the Red Cross for emergency contact with their loved ones, for counseling, and for financial assistance. And the Red Cross provides trusted, reliable programs to educate Americans in first aid, home nursing, and water safety. Traditionally, March is Red Cross Month. During this period I hope all Americans will reflect on the selflessness that has led so many of our neighbors to serve the Red Cross-and their fellow Americans—with their time, their energy, and their love. We can follow their example by supporting our local Red Cross chapter. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America and Honorary Chairman of the American National Red Cross, do hereby designate March, 1977, as Red Cross Month. I urge all Americans to give generous support to the work of their local Red Cross chapters. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first. JIMMY CARTER Proclamation 4490 March 8, 1977 Cancer Control Month, 1977 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Approximately 385,000 of our people will die this year of cancer, one of our greatest unsolved medical problems. The economic cost of cancer is high, but its toll in terms of human suffering is far higher. Recognizing that—and that our efforts to overcome cancer must be aggressive and sustained—the United States has committed itself to the conquest of cancer as a national goal. Our efforts have been rewarded. Every year we learn more about the causes of cancer, and about its prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control. Our progress is largely due to the dedication of scientists and physicians throughout our Nation. But the fight against cancer also depends on the willingness of the American people to alter their eating, drinking, and smoking habits and to seek early and appropriate medical care. In order to encourage public dedication to our national commitment to the control of cancer, the Congress, by a joint resolution of March 28, 1938 (52 Stat. 148, 36 U.S.C. 150), requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating April as Cancer Control Month. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the month of April, 1977, as Cancer Control Month, and I invite the Governors of the several States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the appropriate officials of all other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to issue similar proclamations. I also urge the health and medical professions, educators, the communications media, and all other concerned individuals and organizations to join during this period of time in activities which are designed to impress upon the people of the Nation the importance of our continuing commitment to cancer control. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first. JIMMY CARTER Proclamation 4491 March 21, 1977 Pan American Day and Pan American Week, 1977 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The people of the Western Hemisphere share a common past and a common future. As friends and neighbors we have an obligation to help one another, in order to promote our common good and to solve the problems of each nation, and advance our mutual interest in global solutions to problems that confront all of humankind. The Organization of American States, the world's oldest regional organization, is one symbol of these shared aspirations. Since Pan American Day was first proclaimed in 1889, the nations of this hemisphere have undergone dramatic changes internally and in relationship to each other. The challenge for all of us in the coming year is to find ways to adapt our relationships to take into account these changes. At the same time, we should rededicate ourselves to the ideals of peace, cooperation, and social justice which continue to unite and inspire our peoples. It is appropriate that we set aside a special period to honor the heritage that unites us, to reaffirm our mutual desire for peace and international harmony, and to dedicate ourselves to shaping a relationship which looks to the future for inspiration. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Thursday, April 14, 1977, as Pan American Day, and the week beginning April 10, 1977, as Pan American Week. I call upon the Governors of the States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and appropriate officials of all other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to issue similar proclamations. I urge the communications media, educators, individuals, and organizations to join together during this week to celebrate our friendship and to recognize the need for a continuing commitment to peaceful and productive relationships with our neighbors in this Hemisphere as a special part of our effort to forge equitable global frameworks for relations among nations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first. JIMMY CARTER Proclamation 4492 March 22, 1977 Armed Forces Day By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Since the founding of the Republic, the Armed Forces of the United States have served the nation in peace and war with honor and distinction. Those who wear the uniforms of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have carved out respect for their patriotic service. It is appropriate that we set aside one day each year to pay tribute to these men and women throughout the world. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, continuing the precedent of my six immediate predecessors in this Office, do hereby proclaim the third Saturday of each May as Armed Forces Day. I direct the Secretary of Defense on behalf of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps, and the Secretary of Transportation on behalf of the Coast Guard, to plan for appropriate observances each year, with the Secretary of Defense responsible for soliciting the participation and cooperation of civil authorities and private citizens. I invite the Governors of the States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and other areas subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, to provide for the observance of Armed Forces Day within their jurisdiction each year in an appropriate manner designed to increase public understanding and appreciation of the Armed Forces of the United States. I also invite national and local veterans, civic and other organizations join in the observance of Armed Forces Day each year. I call upon my fellow Americans not only to display the flag of the United States at their homes on Armed Forces Day, but also to learn about our System of defense, and about the men and women who sustain it, by attending and participating in the local observances of the day. Proclamation 4357 of March 25, 1975, is hereby superseded. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first. JIMMY CARTER Proclamation 4493 Loyalty Day, 1977 March 23, 1977 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Loyalty, however we may choose to define it, must dwell in our hearts as well as our minds. If we are to rely only on what the heart tells us about America, it will be easy to blind ourselves to those problems that our Nation has yet to solve as it begins its third century. If we are to rely only on the mind, it will be easy to create justifications that help us evade responsibility for our errors. Loyalty ought not to be a leash that prevents the mind from searching for new ideas or from asking new questions about old ones that have long gone unchallenged. Rather, the loyalty we feel in our hearts should be an anchor that keeps us faithful to the ideals of individual dignity and worth for which so many Americans have fought and died. To encourage the American people to set aside a special day to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States and to reflect upon their heritage, the Congress, by joint resolution of July 18, 1958 (72 Stat. 369, 36 U.S.C. 162), designated the first day of May of each year as Loyalty Day and requested the President to issue a proclamation calling for its appropriate observance. NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIMMY CARTER, President of the United States of America, call upon all appropriate organizations to celebrate Sunday, May 1, 1977, as Loyalty Day with such ceremonies as will encourage the American people to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States of America. I also call upon the appropriate officials of the Government to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on that day to underscore our renewed sense of national purpose. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first. Many of the men and women who founded our nation were farmers, and farmers were a major factor in turning this land from a wilderness to a great and productive |