CHEYENNE — At the direction of the President of the United States, Governor Mark Gordon has ordered the U.S. and State of Wyoming flags be lowered to half-staff on Memorial Day, May 31, 2021, at 12:01 am and returned to full-staff at noon.

The Presidential Proclamation follows: 

PRAYER FOR PEACE, MEMORIAL DAY, 2021
– – – – – – –
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

On Memorial Day, we honor and reflect upon the courage, integrity,
and selfless dedication of the members of our Armed Forces who have
made the greatest sacrifice in service to our Nation. Whether in
the waters of the Pacific, on the beachheads of Europe, in the
deserts of the Middle East, or in the mountains of Afghanistan,
American service members have given their lives to uphold our
Constitution and to defend the safety and freedoms of our
citizens. These patriots embody the best of the American spirit.
They put themselves on the line for our shared values — for duty,
honor, country — and they paid the ultimate price. Our Nation can
never fully repay the debt we owe to our fallen heroes and their
families.

Jill and I know what it means to have a child serving in a war zone
— the ever-present concern for your loved one and their fellow
service members. Today and every day, we ask God to protect our
troops. We also recognize the tremendous loss endured by America’s
Gold Star families — the families of military members who died in
conflict. We have a sacred obligation as a Nation to support those
families and to always honor the memories of their loved ones.

That is the vow we make each year on Memorial Day. Our Nation will
never forget the courage and patriotism demonstrated by the
countless women and men who laid down their lives so that we may
continue to pursue a more perfect Union and to protect the
unalienable rights Americans hold dear. They came from every part
of the country, of every background and belief, united by a shared
belief in our uniquely American creed — that all people are
created equal. We will honor their legacy by continuing our work
to live up to that commitment and to advance the values they lived
and died to defend. We will continue to fight for equity and
inclusion in our country and institutions, and ensure every
qualified American who is willing to serve our country —
regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation,
or background — has a fair and equal opportunity to do so.

We will continue to honor our fallen service members through the
actions of a new generation who volunteer to serve in uniform, who
anchor our military to our democratic values, and who stand ready
to deter aggression from our enemies and, if required, fight and
defend our Nation. Today — as we keep true to the memory of our
fallen heroes — we will endeavor to meet their legacy and once
more lead the world through the power of our example and not just
the example of our power.

As our Nation’s service members continue to risk their lives to
protect our homeland and thwart our enemies, we must not lose sight
of our desire for enduring peace. Every day, countless Americans
pray and work for peace so that we may one day live in a world
where American patriots need not make the ultimate sacrifice, and
where all people live in freedom and prosperity. As a Nation, we
are grateful to the brave members of our Armed Services — both
past and present — who have forged the legacy for that
possibility.

In honor and recognition of all of our fallen service members, the
Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, as amended
(36 U.S.C. 116), has requested that the President issue a
proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe
each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and
designating a period on that day when the people of the United
States might unite in prayer and reflection. The Congress, by
Public Law 106-579, has also designated 3:00 p.m. local time on
that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way,
the National Moment of Remembrance.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim Memorial Day, May 31, 2021,
as a day of prayer for permanent peace, and I designate the hour
beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of that day as a time when
people might unite in prayer and reflection. I urge the press,
radio, television, and all other information media to cooperate in
this observance. I further ask all Americans to observe the
National Moment of Remembrance beginning at 3:00 p.m. local time on
Memorial Day.

I request the Governors of the United States and its Territories,
and the appropriate officials of all units of government, to direct
that the flag be flown at half-staff until noon on this Memorial
Day on all buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout the
United States and in all areas under its jurisdiction and
control. I also request the people of the United States to display
the flag at half-staff from their homes for the customary forenoon
period.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth
day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
and forty-fifth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.