EYEWITNESS NEWS (WBRE/WYOU) — With so many patriotic holidays in America, it can be challenging to remember which day honors what.
Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and Armed Forces day all honor the military community and those who have served, but there are subtle differences.
Armed Forces Day:
Armed Forces Day is observed on the third Saturday in May and is different from the two other holidays because this day focuses on those who are currently in uniform and serving the nation.
First created in 1949, Armed Forces Day is actually a combination of holidays that celebrated the Army, Navy and Air Force.
Memorial Day:
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May. The purpose of Memorial Day is to remember the Americans who died while serving our country.
Memorial Day, first known as Decoration Day, was observed first after the Civil War. The Memorial Day that we now know became a federal holiday in 1971. This day is also an unofficial marker of the start of summer.
Veterans Day:
Veterans Day is November 11 and was first observed in 1919. This day is meant to honor all those who served and continue to serve our country.
Veterans Day was first known as Armistice Day and became a federal holiday in 1938, then officially became “Veterans Day” in 1954.
Many Americans observe these holidays as a somber reminder of those who have served our country.
All information in this article was found on USO.org.
