November 11, 2023: National Salute Day

WHEREAS, on March 4, 1921, President Wilson signed Public Resolution 67 of the 66th Congress, introduced by Congressman Hamilton Fish III, calling on the nation to return to the United States the body of an unknown American who was killed while serving in the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in France and bury his body with appropriate ceremonies in a tomb to be constructed on the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery; and,

WHEREAS, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was established on November 11, 1921, after the body of an unidentified service member, killed in France during World War I, was laid to eternal rest in the east plaza of the Memorial Amphitheater; and,

WHEREAS, the three crypts on the east plaza of the Memorial Amphitheater just to the west of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier contain the remains of unidentified Americans representing World War II and the Korean War, with an empty crypt dedicated to honoring and keeping faith with our nation’s missing warriors; and,

WHEREAS, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier transcends race, creed, religion, and politics, representing the final resting place for thousands of Gold Star families’ fallen loved ones who served this nation and made the ultimate sacrifice, giving not only their lives, but also their identities to protect our freedoms; and,

WHEREAS, on November 11, 2023, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a true national treasure, will celebrate its Centennial and once again reaffirm its power to unite all Americans in honor of those who gave their life in defense of others; and,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2023, as National Salute Day in Michigan.