This Saturday, May 19, is Armed Forces Day. For their dedication to protecting America, we offer our gratitude to all the men and women of the military, especially those risking their lives. From 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 and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed Forces Day. ...The theme of the first Armed Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Other relevant links:
Heroes in the War on Terror
Dept. of Defense Images
Air Force Images
Army Images
Marine Images
Navy Images
A few military support links:
American Supports You, Our Military Men & Women
Project Valour-IT uses donations to purchase and shipment of voice-activated laptops for wounded servicemembers.
Proceeds of the book My Decision to Live by Nader Elguindi are being donated to non-profit groups supporting the wounded warriors at Walter Reed.
UPDATE -- May 19: Wide Awake Cafe has may related links.
Posted by Forkum at May 17, 2007 03:29 PM
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