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Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 / Jan. 16 129 and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate. This Large for International Religious Freedom, letter was released by the Office of the Press Sec- we have strived to promote religious freedom retary on January 16. where it is threatened or denied and to inter- vene on behalf of those who are suffering Proclamation 7391ÐReligious because of their religious beliefs and prac- tices. Freedom Day, 2001 More than 2 centuries ago, our founders January 15, 2001 sought to protect the religious freedom that By the President of the United States inherently belongs to every human being. of America Now the responsibility falls to our genera- tion, not only to preserve that right, but also A Proclamation to work together for the day when all people Each year we commemorate the anniver- can worship freely and in peace. sary of the religious freedom statute adopted Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, by the Virginia legislature in 1786. This stat- President of the United States of America, ute, which reflects the wisdom and foresight by virtue of the authority vested in me by of its author, Thomas Jefferson, and its co- the Constitution and the laws of the United sponsor, James Madison, became the model States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2001, for the First Amendment to our Constitution, as Religious Freedom Day. I call upon the and it has had enormous and far-reaching people of the United States to observe this consequences for the life of our Nation. day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, Just a few weeks ago, we saw how much and programs, and I urge all Americans to that freedom means to all of us, as we cele- reaffirm their devotion to the fundamental brated Christmas, Hanukkah, and the Eid Al- principles of religious freedom and tolerance. Fitr within the same week. These holidays In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set belonging to the Christian, Jewish, and Mus- my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the lim faiths were observed freely and in peace year of our Lord two thousand one, and of by millions of people across our countryÐ the Independence of the United States of an occurrence unimaginable in some regions America the two hundred and twenty-fifth. of the world, where people suffer persecu- William J. Clinton tion and even death for worshipping accord- ing to their conscience. Because of religious [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, freedom, Americans have been spared much 9:12 a.m., January 18, 2001] of the violence, bitterness, and conflict that NOTE: This proclamation was released by the Of- have scarred so many other societies, and our fice of the Press Secretary on January 16, and it Nation has benefited immeasurably from the was published in the Federal Register on January many contributions of generations of men 22. and women who emigrated to America be- cause their right to worship was protected by the Constitution and the courts and re- Remarks on Presenting the Medal of spected by their fellow citizens. Honor But religious freedom is not a right we January 16, 2001 enjoy solely by virtue of being Americans; it is a fundamental human right that should The President. Good morning, and please be honored in every Nation around the be seated. I would like to first thank Chaplain globe. That is why I have sought to make General Hicks for his invocation and wel- it an integral part of U.S. foreign policy and come the distinguished delegation from the to raise international awareness that many Pentagon who are hereÐSecretary Cohen, countries continue to engage in or tolerate General Shelton, Deputy Secretary de Leon. egregious violations of their citizens' right to I thank the Members of Congress who are worship. I am proud that we have expanded here: Senator Dorgan, Senator Durbin, Rep- reporting on religious freedom in every coun- resentatives Buyer, King, Skelton, Weller, try, and that through our Ambassador at and Whitfield; former Representatives Lazio 130 Jan. 16 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 and McHale; members of the Smith and Civil War the color bearer was kept in front Roosevelt families. of advancing troops and was a known, con- In 1782 George Washington created the spicuous target for the other side. The enemy Badge of Military Merit. It was the first fought hard for your colors, and units that medal awarded by our Nation's Armed lost them suffered serious loss of morale. Forces. But soon it fell into oblivion, and for Having them held high gave a unit the cour- decades no new medals were established. It age to carry on. Eighty Medals of Honor have was thought that a medal was too much like been awarded to soldiers who saved their a European aristocratic title, while to fight unit's colors during the Civil War. for one's country in America was simply Local legend says that the sandy soil of doing your democratic duty. Honey Hill was literally soaked in Union So when the Medal of Honor was insti- blood on November 30, 1864, that, ``one tuted during the Civil War, it was agreed it could walk on the dead for over a mile with- would be given only for gallantry, at the risk out touching the road.'' In one 5-minute of one's life above and beyond the call of span, the 55th alone is said to have lost over duty. That's an extraordinarily high standard, 100 men. But they never lost their colors, one that precious few ever meet. The Medal because Corporal Smith carried them of Honor is our highest military decoration, through the battle, exposing himself as the and we are here today to honor two Amer- lead target. ican heroes who met that mark. Like so many African-Americans who The first is Andrew Jackson Smith, United served in the Civil War, the soldiers of the States Army. Then Corporal Smith served as 55th were only reluctantly accepted by their a part of the 55th Massachusetts Voluntary own Union army. Their units were seg- Infantry, a black regiment that fought in the regated. They were paid less than white sol- Civil War. In late 1864, they were part of diers. They were commanded by white offi- a Union effort to cut off the Savannah- cers who mostly wanted to use them as garri- Charleston railroad link and keep Confed- son and labor battalions. So their first battle erate forces from interfering with Sherman's was the fight just to see battle. But given march to the sea. the opportunity, they fought with intensity On November 30th, the 55th was one of that only high purpose and conviction can several units that tried to take a 25-foot rise sustain. And they did it knowing they risked called Honey Hill, close to Boyd's Landing almost certain death or enslavement if cap- in South Carolina. The Confederate troops tured by Confederate forces. had an elevated position, the advantage of After the war, Andrew Jackson Smith lived surprise, and fortified entrenchments. So, as out the rest of his days near Grand Rivers, the 5,000 Union troops advanced through the Kentucky, where he was a leader in the com- 300 yards of swamp to get to the road leading munity until his death in 1932. He was first up Honey Hill, they found themselves walk- nominated for the Medal of HonorÐlisten ing into a slaughter. to thisÐin 1916. But the Army claimed, erro- The commanding officer, Colonel Alfred neously, that there were no official records Hartwell, wrote, ``The leading brigade had to prove his story and his extraordinary acts been driven back when I was ordered in with of courage. It's taken America 137 years to mine. I was hit first in the hand, just before honor his heroism. making a charge. Then my horse was killed We are immensely honored to have with under me, and I was hit afterward several us today eight of his family members, includ- times. One of my aides was killed, and an- ing Andrew Bowman, here to receive the other was blown from his horse. During the Medal of Honor on behalf of his grandfather, furious fight the color bearer was shot and and Mrs. Caruth Smith Washington, Andrew killed, and it was Corporal Andrew Jackson Jackson Smith's daughter, and a very young Smith who would retrieve and save both the 93. State and Federal flags.'' I want to say to all the members of the Now, to understand what Corporal Smith Smith family, sometimes it takes this country did that day you have to know that in the a while, but we nearly always get it right in Administration of William J. Clinton, 2001 / Jan. 16 131 the end. I am proud that we finally got the the medal, too. For some reason, the War facts and that, for you and your brave fore- Department never acted on the rec- bear, we're finally making things right. ommendation. Some say he didn't get it be- Major, please read the citation. cause of the bias the War Department had against volunteers. Others say it was because [At this point, Maj. William Mullen III, he ran afoul of the Secretary of War, who, USMC, Marine Corps Aide to the President, after the war, was reluctant to allow the re- read the citation, and the President presented turn of a number of American servicemen the medal.] afflicted with yellow fever. Roosevelt publicly The President. The second Medal of called for America to bring its heroes home, Honor I award today is for the bravery of where they had a far better chance to re- Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt on cover.

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