This Saturday, May 19, is Armed Forces Day. For their dedication to protecting America, we offer our gratitude to all the men and women of the military, especially those risking their lives. From the Department of Defense.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. ...

The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Other relevant links:

According to that Department of Defense page the first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on 20 May 1950. Being one day old at the time I probably didn't get very excited about it.

Contributed by Bill Faith on May 19, 2007 at 01:46 AM | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Fight4TheRight

Just a note to say "Thank You" to all who are serving and have served in the past in the Armed Forces!

Your service and sacrifice has made us all Free and Safe.

Bless you All ! Happy Armed Services Day!

Posted by: Fight4TheRight | May 19, 2007 4:22:35 PM