Field Problem: In Honor Of
Dear, Field Problems:
Do you have a calendar of all the military recognition days, weeks, and months? For example, Military Spouse’s Day is the Friday before Mother’s Day, National Military Month is May, etc. Or do you have a link that would give me those? Or do you have it handy on your site?
Deanna; Hummelstown, PA; Army Guard spouse of 19 years
Dear, Deanna:
We didn’t have such a list, but it was fun to dig up details to get you one! We did as well as we could, and we hope the compilation below gives you a great start. We feel it’s comprehensive and enlightening, but we would be happy to expand it as readers see fit.
Practically every month contains a day recognizing service members, their accomplishments, or key values they fight for and possess: Freedom, Loyalty, and Victory.
February
Freedom Day is Feb. 1. Fitting isn’t it, that the year starts out with a celebration of freedom? Typically, we identify July 4 as America’s Independence or Freedom Day. But, this other Freedom Day has different origins. Feb. 1 was chosen because that was the day that President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment, abolishing and prohibiting slavery. Until 1948, when President Harry Truman proclaimed the day as National Freedom Day, former slaves had celebrated this holiday unofficially since 1865.
April
This whole month is designated as the month of the Military Child. When service members leave to fight for or preserve peace, they often leave many loved ones behind, the most precious of which are our children. Military kids sacrifice their stability and time with their parents. Thus, it’s been said that when parents serve, children serve too. This month is for them.
Connect and Join, Inc. has brought to light an effort to make April fun for military children and a learning experience for corporate and educational institution partners. You can find event suggestions as well as project and lesson plans for educators here. Parents can join in the celebration by visiting the site for arts and crafts projects with a military flair.
April 23 is the Army Reserve’s birthday. In 2008, the Reserves turned 100.
May
This month is National Military Appreciation Month, chock full of military observances which make it a great candidate for National Military Month. This month includes the most well-known observance, Memorial Day, to the obscure, Loyalty Day.
May 1 is Loyalty Day and Silver Star Day. Similar to Freedom Day, Loyalty Day is a day to reflect on that specific virtue and re-dedicate ourselves as loyal Americans. Service members and military families join with numerous other types of volunteers who dedicate time and skills to contribute to supporting our nation and its citizens. America wouldn’t be the same without loyal citizens.
May 1 is also Silver Star Day is observed by the Silver Star Families of America. This apropos example of a loyal volunteer organization serves our injured and ill service members. It’s not that they only serve Silver Star recipients, but rather silver is the color they denote for all injured and ill service members. This is in keeping with the idea that blue stars denote all service members and gold denotes those killed in action.
The Friday before Mother’s Day is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. This is one you mentioned. This day of honor for all military spouses was first proclaimed by President Reagan in 1984. It’s grown rapidly in recent years, in light of the relenting pressures on military spouses because of the Global War on Terror, including back-to-back deployments and combat injured service members. Some organizations and businesses put on dinners for military spouses, feature discounts or sales, or reach out to perform services to make this day more meaningful.
The third Saturday in May is Armed Forces Day, which is the culmination of Armed Forces Week. This day is set aside for all services to combine their celebrations of continued existence and service. Previously, each service held their own observance, but in 1949 the then current Secretary of Defense called for unity under the Department of Defense. Each branch continues to celebrate their birthdays, but also make an ongoing effort toward a celebration of unity during this week in May.
The last Monday in May is the well-known Memorial Day. It’s often mistaken as a “holiday,” but is more truly a day to remember and honor the dead who gave their lives for our country. Veteran’s groups usually coordinate a prayer service or key note speaker who highlights the significant sacrifices of our nation’s fallen. Usually, these services take place in cemeteries, and individuals decorate military gravesites in conjunction with service.
June
June 14 is both Flag Day and the U.S. Army’s Birthday. It is a coincidence that these holidays both occur on June 14. Flying the flag is highly encouraged from this day through the July 4 to honor the United States of America. Some references went so far as calling this timeframe “Honor America Days.”
July
July 4 is Independence Day, which needs no introduction. Fireworks, friends, flags, and family all come together for this summer holiday. Our nation’s independence is highly valued and highly celebrated. And rightly so!
August
Aug. 4 is the Coast Guard Day.
September
Sept. 11 is Patriot Day, established on the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Congress empowered the president to proclaim this day as a day of remembrance. There is a separate Patriot’s Day, which is celebrated by some in April. That day is a day to remember the Revolutionary War.
Sept. 17 is both Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Also known as Citizens Day (Bill of Rights Day), this day is noted for being the day that the Constitution of the United States of America was signed.
Sept. 18 is the Air Force’s birthday.
The third Friday in September is POW/MIA Recognition Day. The National League of Families worked to create this day of recognition to remember our Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action. Each year, the president orders a proclamation and requires federal buildings to fly the POW/MIA flag, professing the claim, “You are not forgotten.”
The last Sunday in September is Gold Star Mother’s Day. Gold Star Mothers are those who lost a child in service to our country. This organization was established shortly after WWI.
October
Oct. 13 is the Navy’s birthday.
November
The month of November is Military Family Month. While Thanksgiving is the most notable holiday in November, when individuals pause to give thanks for their many blessings, it makes sense that Military Family Month, Military Family Day, and Military Family Week are typically assigned, under presidential proclamation, to around the third week of November. These events are by in large organized and enhanced by groups such as The American Legion, National Military Family Association, and the Armed Services YMCA.
Nov. 1o is the birthday of the Marine Corps.
Nov. 11 is Veterans Day. This day was originally called Armistice Day (which means truce) and used to honor veterans for their dedicated and courageous service in WWI. In 1954, President Eisenhower declared this day Veterans Day. It’s a day to honor all who served, not just those who died.
Dec. 13 is the birthday of the National Guard, the oldest military service, encompassing 19 generations.
There are various other dates important to military history throughout the year, which you may want to learn more about, such as Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, Victory in Japan (V-J) Day, Pearl Harbor Day, D-Day, and others.
Now that you have all these dates, you can take the next step and pass on good wishes and hearty congratulations when called for. Thank you for supporting the United States military and those who serve it. You gave us a run for our money with this question, but we enjoyed every step.
