Today is Armed Forces Day, the day on which we honor our fellow Americans currently serving in the five branches of the U.S. military—Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The holiday was first observed in 1950, shortly after command of the five branches of the military was centralized under the Department of Defense. Despite this, Armed Forces Day didn’t become an official holiday until 1962.
Many of us have friends and family who are in the military, and most people probably know at least one person with a friend or family member in the military. While every day is likely Armed Forces Day for those with loved ones serving overseas, today is the official day when we all band together to show our support of, and respect for, the members of the U.S. Armed Forces. So to all those brave men and women who make the choice to wear the uniform and potentially risk their lives in order to protect ours: thank you.
You can find some great Armed Forces–themed reads below.
Military Branches Pack
Available in SeeSaw May
100 Days and 99 Nights
by Alan Madison
Available in Arrow May
An Inside Look at the U.S. Navy SEALs
by Joe Funk
Available in Storia eBooks
Military Machines Pack
Available in SeeSaw June
No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden
by Mark Owen
Available in BookBeat
Dogs on Duty: Soldiers’ Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond
by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Available in Club Shop
