Armed Forces Day was first celebrated on May 20, 1950 after Louis Johnson, then the United States Secretary of Defense, announced Armed Forces Day as a holiday to replace separate holidays for military branches. This holiday was designed to make Americans aware of Armed Forces' jobs and to showcase state-of-the-art equipment. Most importantly, though, this holiday was created to honor and acknowledge Americans in the Armed Forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.

"Our servicemen and women are serving throughout the world as guardians of peace—many of them away from their homes, their friends, and their families. They are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but inescapable truth—that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal sacrifice."

President John F. Kennedy, 1963.

Please join us in thanking the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for their continued service this week, especially on Armed Forces Day, this Saturday, May 19.