Bush honours mothers of dead Iraq soldiers
President George Bush has paid tribute to US Gold Star mothers, honouring the deaths of their sons and daughters in the military as activists began gathering for an Iraq anti-war protest on Saturday.
Bush proclaimed Sunday as Gold Star Mother’s Day and instructed that the US flag be flown over government buildings. He also urged Americans to display the flag.
“On Gold Star Mother’s Day, we recognise and pray for the devoted and patriotic mothers of these men and women in uniform who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our liberty,” the president said in his proclamation issued overnight.
Meanwhile, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan arrived in Washington after a three-week cross-country bus tour that began near Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.
Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son, Casey Sheehan, was killed last year in Iraq, is co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace.
