President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single
holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military
members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson
announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace
separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.

The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of
the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

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