WHEREAS, every citizen of the United States enjoys the rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, given by God and enumerated in our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, those rights are protected by the vigilance of the United States Armed Forces; and

WHEREAS, the members of our military have bled for freedom in such places as Yorktown and Lexington, Gettysburg and Appomattox, Normandy and the Argonne, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Seoul and the Chosin Reservior, Saigon and Pleiku, and now in places like Bagram and Baghdad; and

WHEREAS, it is an honorable thing to put on the uniform of the United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves, and the State Defense Forces; and

WHEREAS, it is proper for every future generation in Alabama to understand and appreciated the sacred legacy handed down by previous generations of American military, hopefully to answer the call and perform their duty when their time comes:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Bob Riley, Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby proclaim May 2003, as Military Appreciation Month in the State of Alabama and encourage the citizens of Alabama to show their support. Let May be set apart annually for a month of reflection on the service and sacrifice of the valiant men and women of America’s fighting forces. God Bless America, and God Bless Alabama.

GIVEN UNDER MY HAND and the Great Seal of the Governor’s Office at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 15th day of April 2003.

Bob Riley