February 19, 1976: President Gerald R. Ford issues Proclamation 4417, titled “An American Promise,” on the 34th anniversary of the issuance of Executive Order 9066, which had authorized the removal of people from designated military areas. “I call upon the American people to affirm with me this American Promise,” President Ford’s proclamation reads, “that we have learned from the tragedy of that long-ago experience forever to treasure liberty and justice for each individual American, and resolve that this kind of action shall never again be repeated.”