Photo By Scott Sturkol | Visitors to the 2016 Fort McCoy (Wis.) Armed Forces Day Open House watch a police...... read more read more
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On Aug. 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 Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day, too.
In a speech announcing the formation of the day, President Harry S. Truman praised the work of the military services at home and across the seas. “It is vital to the security of the nation and to the establishment of a desirable peace,” Truman said.
“Now, therefore, I, Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim that Saturday, May 20, 1950, shall be known as Armed Forces Day; and I invite the governors of the states, territories, and possessions to issue proclamations calling for the celebration of that day in such manner as to honor the Armed Forces of the United States and the millions of veterans who have returned to civilian pursuits,” states the Presidential Proclamation of Feb. 27, 1950.
Armed Forces Day is a day to honor all of the men and women currently serving as well as those who have served, both active and former military.
Celebrating Armed Forces Day serves several purposes. From its inception 70 years ago, it has served as an opportunity for citizens to unite and to honor military heroes for their patriotic service. It also was designed to increase public understanding of the role of the military in modern society. It is a day for the military to show off its state-of-the-art equipment. And, most importantly, it is a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.
The installation’s first recorded Armed Forces Day Open House was May 19, 1951. It was the first opportunity in 10 years for Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa residents to see the inside of an Army camp while it trained men of the Armed Forces.
Today, the open house is Fort McCoy’s largest community outreach event of the year. The open house features something of interest to all age groups — guided bus tours equipment/information displays, demonstrations, marksmanship galleries, camouflage face painting, and more. These activities are supported by both military units and civilian departments, truly making it an installationwide event.
The day’s activities are centered at the award-winning Commemorative Area, which features the History Center; five World War II-era buildings filled with historical equipment and displays, the outdoor Equipment Park, and Veterans Memorial Plaza.
While this year’s Armed Forces Day Open House was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are already being made for next year’s event. Mark your calendars to attend the 2021 event on May 15, 2021.
The Commemorative Area located in the 800 block is open for tours by appointment. Visit the Fort McCoy public website at home.army.mil/mccoy or call the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office to learn more about scheduling a tour.
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2020 16:22 |
| Story ID: | 370578 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 98 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, History of Armed Forces Day stretches back 70 years, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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