By Michelle Dumas
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
In the United States, Armed Forces Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May. It falls near the end of Armed Forces Week, which begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May (the fourth of the month begins on a Sunday, as in 2016).
Because of their unique training schedules, National Guard and reserve units may celebrate Armed Forces Day/Week over any period in the month of May.
First observed on 20 May 1950, the day was created on 31 August 1949 as President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank military members for their patriotic service in support of the republic and national interests and as an undeniable fact of American life. Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson announced the creation to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the U.S. Department of Defense as part of a modern U.S. Armed Forces. It was intended to replace the separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard holidays, but the separate days are still observed, especially within the respective services.[19] The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions and air shows. The United States’ longest continuously running Armed Forces Day Parade is held in Bremerton, Washington.
On 19 May 2017, President Donald Trump reaffirmed the Armed Forces Day holiday, marking the 70th anniversary since the creation of the Department of Defense. On 15 May 2020, Armed Forces Day honored the newly established United States Space Force for the first time.
