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.

Another important part of Armed Forces Day is unification. Under the previous system, each military organization was celebrated separately. It is important, though, to recognize the military as a whole. All of these organizations, the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, are involved in making sacrifices to serve. Observing the military as a whole, without distinguishing roles, allows the public to both celebrate the armed forces, and learn how all of the organizations accomplish their goals.

If you are looking for ways to celebrate Armed Forces Day in your area, a simple online search should provide you with some idea. Here are a few of them:

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is hosting an Armed Forces Day celebration with many activities. As with most celebrations of this type, it is heavily weighted towards community involvement. There is a 5k run, small air show, as well as military vehicle exhibitions, among many other events. More information can be found at the web address listed here.
http://www.harrisburgevents.com/Common_pages/Armed.html

Torrance, California will be hosting a celebration including a parade, concert, and various military exhibits. The public is invited to come learn more about the military by seeing first hand the tools that the men and women of combat use. More information can be found at the web address listed here.
http://www.ci.torrance.ca.us/326.htm

Bremerton, Washington will be the site of a celebratory parade.

Honolulu, Hawaii will host a benefit concert featuring musics of the Armed Forces to commemorate the day.

Fort McCoy,

Wisconsin will host a military exhibit where the public will be allowed to learn more about the workings of the military. These locations, as well as many other Armed Forces Day celebrations around the country can be found at this address:
http://www4.army.mil/outreach/calendar/index.php?&event_id=5284&r=2007-05-01&date=2007-05-19