Remarks on Signing a Proclamation Honoring Reserve Components of the Armed Forces.

I APPRECIATE the opportunity to join in this ceremony; and it is one that I wish I could participate in more often, where a proclamation expresses appreciation for service rendered, and where those involved have completed that service and have returned to civilian life, where that is their choice.

I should point out, of course, that you are still in the Reserve. That means that you can still be called, something which I know you understand and something I know which will always be the great tradition in this country.

I think it is worth saying, however, something about the Reserve components that were called up as a result of this proclamation of 1968,¹ to which [Deputy] Secretary [of Defense David] Packard has referred.

¹Executive Orders 11392 of January 25, 1968, and 11406 of April 10, 1968, together called up 36,000 men.

Thirty-six thousand men have been called up under that proclamation. Twenty-two thousand of those 36,000 served overseas. Those 22,000 received over 4,000 citations, including over 250 Purple Hearts.

This is, it seems to me, eloquent demonstration of the service that is rendered to the United States, not only by our regular forces, and those who are brought into the service through the Selective Service, but also those who are in the Reserves, as are the people who are here.

The Nation is grateful to you, grateful to you for the service you have rendered. The Nation is also grateful to you for the fact that you are in the Reserves, that you are ready, ready to serve the Nation again, as you have in the past.

And in this Christmas season, we can only say that this is the appropriate time to sign the proclamation, a proclamation which recognizes the service, recognizes what you have done. And it also gives me the opportunity in this East Room, which is appropriately decorated, to wish all of you the very best for Christmas and the New Year.

I should point out, incidentally, to the Secretary, as I see all of this rank in the front row, that I am reminded of the fact that I, too, am in the Reserves, although it is now inactive--I understand inactive, at least.

But, while, because of the position I hold--I hold the rank of Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces--I realize that except for that election that I would be a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve, showing proper respect to my superiors here in the front row.

We hope you all have a chance to look at the Christmas decorations and take anything that isn't nailed down.