May 19 - Celebrate Armed Forces Day

May 19, 2007 will mark the fifty-eighth annual celebration of Armed Forces Day in the United States. Prior to 1950, celebratory military days were split into three separate holidays: Air Force Day, Army Day, and Navy Day. In August of 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the combination of these three days into one celebration. Although the Marine Corps refused to drop its support of the national Marine Corps celebration day, it does officially sponsor Armed Forces Day. The first celebration was held on May 20th, 1950, and it has been celebrated annually ever since. The third Saturday of May every year is a day where Americans can come together, regardless of gender, race, political affiliation, or otherwise, and celebrate the men and women who have served in our military.

It is important to recognize Armed Forces Day separate from Memorial Day. The last Monday of the month of May is reserved for the celebration of men and women who have lost their lives in military service. Memorial Day is generally celebrated by visiting military cemeteries or memorials, and flying flags at half mast to honor those who have given their lives. Honor is the theme of Memorial Day, while the theme of Armed Forces Day is quite different. This day was created to be a celebration, a day where civilians come together to celebrate the military, experience certain aspects of the armed forces, and learn exactly what it is that their men and women overseas do to protect them. Common celebrations include parades, festivals, airs shows and other activities where military technology is exposed to the public. People are often invited to watch certain military demonstrations, as well as explore military vehicles. Education is an important aspect of Armed Forces Day, a day that was founded with the goal in mind of informing the public on certain operational techniques of the different branches of the military.