Armed Forces Day in Washington State, like the national celebration, honors all branches of the US Armed Forces. The first Armed Forces Day in Washington was celebrated on May 20, 1950, and included a parade in Tacoma. The Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade is the longest-running city-sponsored parade in the US, dating back to 1948.
JBLM MWR welcomes everyone out to JBLM’s Armed Forces Day celebration May 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Heritage Hill on McChord Field! It’s free and open to the public.
Our guests attending without a DOD ID cardholder sponsor in the vehicle must complete online preregistration before attending the event. Learn more about how to preregister, as well as all that’s going on for the JBLM Armed Forces Day, by visiting https://jblm.armymwr.com/AFD.
Want to see some of the action from last year’s event, visit https://www.facebook.com/JBLewisMcChord/posts/pfbid0EGvoSBa1GWi4WZ8j4K1zyqbXDn8GqMfY9AtZhRb1F93YMeLrb9aXCEKMaizJ5bQDl.
ARMED FORCES DAY
Armed Forces Day on the third Saturday in May pays tribute to the military personnel serving in the United States Armed Forces. The celebration takes place each year during Armed Forces Week.
#ArmedForcesDay
The United States Military is composed of six branches, including the Army, Airforce, Space Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. As of 2019, more than 1.3 million active-duty service members are stationed in the United States and around the world. An additional 800,000 reservists stand ready in the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. The holiday unites the country behind the men and women who currently serve in the United States military.
National Origins:
Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 by Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson to unify the military branches under the Department of Defense. It was first celebrated on May 20, 1950, with parades, open houses, and air shows.
Washington State Celebrations: Tacoma hosted its first Armed Forces Day parade in 1950, with over 6,000 military personnel participating. Bremerton’s parade is the longest-running city-sponsored parade in the US, dating back to 1948, according to Wikipedia.
Parades and Events:The first Armed Forces Day celebrations in Washington, like those nationwide, included parades, open houses, and air shows. Tacoma Public Library mentions a parade in Tacoma with units from the Army, Air Force, Marines, and Navy.
Theme:The first Armed Forces Day’s theme was “Teamed for Defense,” emphasizing the unification of the armed forces.
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