This is also a good way to ensure you can hold a cookout on a budget. You may want to take advantage of the pleasant weather with a traditional barbecue or family cookout.Д¬onsider inviting extended family members, friends or neighbors to make the gathering extra special and enjoyable. Falling in the middle of May, Armed Forces Day occurs right around the time that temperatures are getting warmer, reaching levels that make it more comfortable to stay outdoors. Home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton is approximately an hourвЂ™s drive from Seattle.ДЄnother advantage of Armed Forces Day is the time of the year itвЂ™s celebrated. The longest-running Armed Forces Day Parade is held annually in Bremerton, Washington. There is bound to be an event occurring where you live. With people out of work and school during the weekend and traffic typically quieter, Armed Forces Day is the quintessential day for enjoying a parade as a spectator.Д¬heck your communityвЂ™s official website in the weeks leading up to Armed Forces Day. The fact that Armed Forces Day falls on a Saturday makes it the ideal holiday for a parade. Here are a few activities you and your family can take part in to make Armed Forces Day truly special:

Some service members may find it awkward or unusual to celebrate the holiday, but doing so is a way to show their respect and appreciation for fellow military personnel, both past and present. There is no bad way to honor the nationвЂ™s military. What are the best ways to celebrate and honor Armed Forces Day? Open houses, receptions and air shows were also part of the festivities. Truman and several other lawmakers were in attendance, according to. In the nationвЂ™s capital, more than 10,000 troops combined (from all five branches) marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, which is where the White House is located. Parades were how the original Armed Forces Day in the United States was celebrated as well. Parades are a common way these and other nations ring in the special occasion. Be it South Africa and Nigeria to Azerbaijan and Armenia in Asia to Greece and Italy in Europe, Armed Forces Day is celebrated all around the world. In other words, itвЂ™s not an exclusively American holiday. Identifying how the United States celebrated the original Armed Forces Day is worth noting, given dozens of countries have their own variations on the holiday. How was the first Armed Forces Day in the United States celebrated? It wasnвЂ™t until 1961, during the Kennedy administration, that Armed Forces Day became an official holiday. вЂњIt is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense.вЂќ вЂњArmed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by AmericaвЂ™s defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, toward the goal of readiness for any eventuality,вЂќ Truman stated, as quoted by.

The very first one would be celebrated later that same year. Truman issuing a Presidential Proclamation to this fact. Serving as Secretary of Defense during the Truman administration, Johnson announced this special day on August 31, 1949, around this same time that the government decided the Defense Department would act as the oversight body for the five branches of the military.ДЄrmed Forces Day called attention to this fact, and also replaced several other days of dedication that were affiliated with individual branches, such as Air Force Day, Navy Day, Army Day and Marines Day.ДЄpproximately nine months later, in February 1950, Armed Forces Day became official, with President Harry S. The background of Armed Forces Day is pretty interesting. Unlike Veterans Day, which commemorates those who are no longer serving, or Memorial Day, which honors the men and women who gave their lives for the cause of freedom, often in war, Armed Forces Day pays tribute to anyone who has worn a uniform. ItвЂ™s Armed Forces Day, and while itвЂ™s not a national holiday, the third Saturday in May is a day that more people should know about, including military personnel and their families.ДЇalling on the third Saturday in May, Armed Forces Day is a more generalized military-focused holiday that acknowledges the efforts and contributions of all military members, whether theyвЂ™re veteran or active duty, regardless of branch. From Memorial Day at the end of May to Veterans Day in the middle of November, every day is a good day to salute the nationвЂ™s military men and women.Д«ut there is another date on the calendar that doesnвЂ™t get quite as much recognition as do the aforementioned days of observance. Grateful Americans who are proud to celebrate and honor service members of today and yesterday have many opportunities to do so. Military Family and Lifestyle | Jby Mele Mathieson

Armed Forces Day: The History and How You Can Celebrate

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