Arlington National Cemetery.
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal
holiday for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel
who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.
The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May
30, 1868.
The day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer
in the United States.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The 142nd Wing of the Portland Air
National Guard Base is set to conduct Memorial Day flyovers
across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.
The flyovers, featuring F-15 Eagle fighter jets, will take place at
various community locations on Monday, May 26.
Maj. Graham Johnson, one of the two pilots participating in the
flyovers, expressed his pride in the mission. "It’s an incredible
honor to fly for the Air National Guard on Memorial Day, paying
tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom."
The flyovers are scheduled to begin at 9:14 a.m. at Forest Lawn
Cemetery in Gresham and will continue at several other sites,
including Veterans Memorial in Springfield, Willamette National
Cemetery in Portland, and Fort Vancouver in Vancouver,
Washington.
May 17, 2025 – Armed Forces Day is Observed on the third
Saturday every May, this is a day dedicated to paying tribute
to men and women currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
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
U.S. Armed Forces.
On 19 May 2017, President Donald Trump reaffirmed the
Armed Forces Day holiday, marking the 70th anniversary
since the creation of the Department of Defense.
On 15 May 2020, Armed Forces Day honored
the newly established United States Space
Force for the first time.
