Armed Forces Day 2020 is marked on May 16. The day is celebrated on the third Saturday in May.
First conceived by President Harry S. Truman, the holiday was established in 1949. The creation of a single-day celebration for all five branches of the United States military made sense due to its recent unification under the Department of Defense.
Armed Forces Day is a joint celebration of all six branches of the U.S. military: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and the newly created Space Force. The day honors all people currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. This includes the men and women who have served or are serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard, including the National Guard and Reserve components.
The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard are the armed forces of the United States. The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority.
Unfortunately due to the coronavirus outbreak, this year’s Armed Forces Day National Event hosted by Scarborough Borough Council has been canceled.
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History of National Armed Forces Day:
It was with the idea for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country that President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish this single holiday. The one-day celebration then stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under 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, Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and Air Force Days.
The first observance on May 20, 1950, launched with parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows.
- 1962 – President John F. Kennedy established Armed Forces Day as an official holiday.
- Bremerton, Washington hosts the United States’ longest-running city-sponsored Armed Forces Day Parade.
- 2012 – Bremerton celebrated the 64th year of the Parade.
Celebrations of National Armed Forces Day:
The day can be celebrated in several ways. Few are as follows:
- Volunteer for a veteran organization that supports those who are deployed.
- Organize care packages for service members or their families.
- Recognize a service member, you know.
- Learn more about the history of each branch of the military and how it has evolved.
- Discover more about your family’s military history.
- Show support for those currently serving in the Armed Forces.
- Use #ArmedForcesDay to post on social media.
