President Harry S. Truman led the
effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to
come together and thank our military members for their
patriotic service in support of our country.
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of
Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed
Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps
and Air Force Days.
The single day celebration stemmed
from the unification of the Armed Forces under the
Department of Defense. Armed Forces Day is observed on
the third Saturday of May.
Armed Forces Day
