Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2012 - Historical Half-Staff Archive

Historical notice: this observance has ended. This independent FORTISVEX resource preserves a past presidential proclamation; it is not a government notice.

Remembrance expressed through service

The 2012 proclamation joins two purposes: honoring the people killed in the September 11 attacks and encouraging service to others. President Obama recalled the help Americans offered after the attacks, from blood donations to sustained support for survivors, and invited people to carry that spirit into their communities.

Its examples are practical: collecting food and clothing, volunteering with a faith-based organization, and preparing care packages for service members. These are examples in the historical document, not requirements for participating. The theme is that remembrance can include both a solemn pause and an act of help.

Flag display, silence, and the legal background

The proclamation calls on United States departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to display the flag at half-staff on September 11, 2012. It invites governors, Puerto Rico's governor, organizations, and individuals to join the observance. The 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time instruction concerns the moment of silence; it is not stated as the beginning of the flag-display period.

The text identifies two acts of Congress: Public Law 107–89, approved December 18, 2001, designated September 11 as Patriot Day; Public Law 111–13, approved April 21, 2009, requested its annual recognition as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This article preserves the 2012 proclamation applying those observances to that year.

September 10 is the formal proclamation date used for this archive entry. September 11 was the observance, while September 13 was the Federal Register publication date. Historical web addresses inside the quotation are preserved as part of the original text and are not presented as verified current service directories.

Full official proclamation text

Proclamation 8860 of September 10, 2012 — Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance, 2012
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

On September 11, 2001, a bright autumn day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. Thousands of innocent men, women, and children perished when mighty towers collapsed in the heart of New York City and wreckage burned in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon. They were family and friends, service members and first responders—and the tragedy of their loss left pain that will never fade and scars our country will never forget.

More than a decade later, the world we live in is forever changed. But as we mark the anniversary of September 11, we remember what remains the same: our character as a Nation, our faith in one another, and our legacy as a country strengthened by service and selflessness. In the spirit that moved rescue workers and firefighters to charge into darkness and danger that September morning, we see the same sense of moral responsibility that drove countless Americans to give of themselves in the months that followed. We offered our neighbors a hand and lined up to give blood. Many helped our Nation rebuild and recover long after the dust had settled, donating and volunteering and helping survivors who had borne so much. We were united, and the outpouring of generosity reminded us that, through challenges that have spanned from acts of terrorism to natural disasters, we go forward together as one people.

Today, as we remember the victims, their families, and the heroes who stood up during one of our country’s darkest moments, I invite all Americans to reclaim that abiding spirit of compassion by serving their communities in the days and weeks ahead. From volunteering with a faith-based organization, to collecting food and clothing for those in need, to preparing care packages for our men and women in uniform, there are many ways to bring service into our everyday lives—and each of us can do something. To get involved and find a local service opportunity, visit www.Serve.gov, or www.Servir.gov for Spanish speakers.

Even the simplest act of kindness can be a way to honor those we have lost, and to help build stronger communities and a more resilient Nation. By joining together on this solemn anniversary, let us show that America’s sense of common purpose need not be a fleeting moment, but a lasting virtue—not just on one day, but every day.

By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107–89), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as ‘‘Patriot Day,’’ and by Public Law 111–13, approved April 21, 2009, the Congress has requested the observance of September 11 as an annually recognized ‘‘National Day of Service and Remembrance.’’

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2012, as Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. I call upon all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of the individuals who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and interested organizations and individuals to join in this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to participate in community service in honor of those our Nation lost, to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities, including remembrance services, and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to honor the innocent victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Official federal proclamation text from Federal Register pages 56747–56748. Page headings and line wrapping are omitted for readability; the signature is represented by the name above.

Verify the official documents

Read or download the official proclamation PDF from GovInfo · Read the Federal Register record

Browse related historical notices in the Presidential Half-Staff Archive.

Signature page from the official published proclamation

Select the published signature page to open the complete two-page official PDF.

Preparing a remembrance display

Explore U.S. flags at FORTISVEX when choosing a flag for your location. Review each product's size, material, and attachment details for a suitable display.