Armed Forces Day — Say What?

My 6-year-old son has begun the official countdown to the end of the school year. Our kitchen calendar has a variety of "X's" marking off the days. Every day after school Jimi runs to the calendar and marks off the corresponding date.

Yesterday he brought to my attention something that I never noticed before. In fact, as I write this I feel a tad embarrassed by my ignorance. There; strategically placed on the bottom of the little box that surrounds May 21, states "Armed Forces Day (USA)." 

Upon reading the captioning out loud to Jimi, I realized that I had no idea what Armed Forces Day truly is. Jimi and I began a quest to learn about Armed Forces Day.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, on August 31, 1949 Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day.

According to a New York Times article published on May 17, 1952: "This is the day on which we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of the Armed Forces ... to all the individuals who are in the service of their country all over the world. Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some of them may give their lives in that duty."

What?  Quickly I scanned my memory bank; classes I took in high school and college — no recollection of Armed Forces Day. According to the U.S. Department of Defense website, the first Armed Forces Day was celebrated with parades and community celebrations.

From Washington D.C. to the streets of San Diego, Americans of all race, creed and color celebrated the tremendous sacrifice and dedication of our military.

Wow. Why do we not celebrate this holiday some 62 years later? Why do we feel our men and women in uniform no longer deserve our honor and thanks?

We Americans are a celebratory nation — we celebrate high school graduation, first communion, the Super Bowl, the Tony Awards, the royal wedding, Fish Day — but to celebrate our nation’s commitment to fight for freedom and to honor those who fight for that freedom?

Is it just me or has the world turned completely upside down?

You can say what you want about the political ramifications of war, but let us not forget the men and women who proudly wear the uniform.  They are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers — members of your community that, despite their political agendas, dedicate themselves to the virtues of this nation.

Perhaps there isn’t a community celebration next Saturday for Armed Forces Day, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate within your own family. Talk to your children about the sacrifice of our armed forces. Impress upon your family and friends how we need to diligently remember those who work for our military.

Take time on May 21 to reflect and pray for our military personnel around the world. I leave you with the words of our former President Dwight D. Eisenhower:  

"It is fitting and proper that we devote one day each year to paying special tribute to those whose constancy and courage constitute one of the bulwarks guarding the freedom of this nation and the peace of the free world."