For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 7, 2001
A Proclamation by the President: Asiatic Fleet Memorial Day
All of America's service personnel and
veterans deserve our gratitude, and it is fitting to pay tribute to the
United States Asiatic Fleet.
The United
States Navy's presence in the Far East dates to 1822. The
Asiatic Fleet was formed in 1902, reestablished in 1910, and continued
to serve into 1942. Through years of unrest and disturbance,
the Fleet protected American lives and interests along the China coast
and the Yangtze River, bearing responsibilities that were as much
diplomatic as Naval. The Fleet also assisted civilian areas
devastated by the forces of nature and by internal warfare.
When the attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the
United States into World War II, the Asiatic Fleet played a key role in
the defense of the Philippines. Outnumbered and outgunned at
sea and in the air, the Fleet was joined by ships of the British,
Dutch, and Australian navies to oppose the Japanese advance through
what is now Indonesia. The Fleet's destroyers hit the
Japanese at Balikpapan and Badung Strait, and the cruiser Marblehead
fought her way through massive air attacks off Bali while submarines,
short of fuel and torpedoes, struck Japanese supply lines.
The battle for the "Malay Barrier" reached its
climax in the Java Sea. In the opening hours of March 1, 1942, the
American cruiser Houston and the Australian cruiser Perth, outnumbered
and outgunned by the Japanese, fought to the last in the Sunda
Strait. They went down with their guns still firing and were
followed hours later by the British cruiser Exeter. The
remaining Allied ships were then ordered to make their way to
Australia.
The Asiatic Fleet was no more, but
its heritage of courage and selfless dedication helped spur our Navy to
victory in World War II. Since then, the Seventh Fleet has
carried on the Asiatic Fleet's duties, earning honor in Korea and
Vietnam and helping to preserve peace and stability in East
Asia. The men and women of our Naval services who saw the
Cold War to a peaceful conclusion and won victory in Operation Desert
Storm are worthy descendants of the sailors and Marines who earned
glory in the Java Sea. As we pay tribute to the memory of the Asiatic
Fleet, I call on all Americans to join me in saluting its proud
heritage of bravery and honor.
The Congress,
by Public Law 105-261, on October 17, 1998, has authorized and
requested the President to issue a proclamation in commemoration of the
United States Navy Asiatic Fleet.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President
of the Untied States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby
proclaim Friday, March 1, 2002, as U.S. Navy Asiatic Fleet Memorial
Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with
appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand
this seventh
day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-fifth.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
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