Armed Forces Day was first observed on 20 May 1950, the day
was created on 31 August 1949 as President Harry S. Truman
led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come
together and thank military members for their patriotic service
in support of the republic and national interests and as an
undeniable fact of  American life.     

       
Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson announced the creation
to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches –
the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and
U.S. Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military
services in the U.S. Department of Defense as part of a modern
US Armed Forces.    

Harry S. Truman( 1884 – 1972)

Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed
Forces Day to honor their military forces. Armed Forces Day
is a joint celebration of all six branches of the U.S. military:
Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and the
newly created Space Force. The day honors all those who
are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. This includes
the men and women who have served or are serving in the  
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force and Coast
Guard, including the National Guard and Reserve components.

Armed Forces Day is a day to pay tribute to the men and women who serve the United States Armed Forces. The day is celebrated on the
third Saturday in May and is part of Armed Forces Week.

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)