On August 31, 1949, Louis Johnson, who was the United States’
Secretary of Defense, announced the creation of an Armed Forces
Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The event
stemmed from the armed forces’ unification under one department
– the Department of Defense. 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.

The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on Saturday, May 20, 1950
with the theme “Teamed for Defense”, which expressed the unification
of all military forces under one government department. According to
the U.S. Department of Defense, the day was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job was performed and the role of the
military in civilian life.

Louis Arthur Johnson
(January 10, 1891 – April 24, 1966)