In addition to Memorial Day, the month of May is National Military Appreciation Month. 2019 is the 21st Annual celebration of this recognized tradition of showing tangible appreciation for our military.
National Military Appreciation Month 2019 includes Loyalty Day (1st), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (10th), VE Day (8th), Armed Forces Day (18th), and Memorial Day (27th). This very important month honors, remembers, recognizes and appreciates all military personnel; those men and women who have served throughout our history and all who now serve in uniform and their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today.
It recognizes those on active duty in all branches of the services, the National Guard and Reserves plus retirees, veterans, and all of their families - well over 90 million Americans and more than 240 years of our nation’s history. Let us celebrate them just as we celebrate the other important entities that make up this wonderful country of ours.
This is my Dad, son & husband at our son's U.S. Marine Corps. commissioning services.
My Dad was a U.S. Naval aviator and my husband is a retired U.S. Navy Chief.
National Military Appreciation Month started as a simple idea; to gather America around its military family to honor, remember, recognize and appreciate those who have served and those now serving and to know the history behind it all. This idea was then legislated twice to achieve greater national attention and recognition.
The first legislation was in the United States Senate in 1999 designating May as National Military Appreciation Month. With the support and sponsorship of Senator John McCain, (R-AZ) and Representative Duncan Hunter, (R-CA) of San Diego and over 50 veteran service organizations, this important and timely legislation tells our service members that their country has set aside an entire month to honor, remember and appreciate them. In April of 2004, more comprehensive legislation was passed by unanimous consent of both Houses of Congress, H. Con. Res. 328, that May is National Military Appreciation Month and urges the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the American people to recognize this special month of May through appropriate ceremonies and events.
Another wonderful website and resource for military families is the National Military Family Association
The National Military Family Association is an organization with strong grassroots support balanced with professionalism that makes us a leader in the field. Not only do we support military families – we are military families. Spouses, parents, and family members make up our staff and board positions. We speak up on behalf of military families and empower husbands, wives, and children to understand and access their benefits. Based on what we hear from our members, we meet the needs of service members and their families with insightful recommendations, innovative programs, and grassroots efforts to better the quality of life for military families.
In 1969, the National Military Family Association was founded by a handful of military wives who wanted to make sure their widowed friends were properly taken care of. Two short years later, the Survivor Benefit Plan became law, and the Association has been hard at work ever since. A small but determined group of military wives around a kitchen table has expanded into a strong force of men and women of all ranks and Services and their wives, husbands, children, and parents.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead.
My husband and I have visited the Arlington National Cemetery, World War II and Vietnam Memorials in Washington, DC, and the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Words cannot convey the solemn mood and deep heartfelt respect the public displayed at these national treasures. It was such a moving experience to walk near the graves of so many fallen heroes and read the names of the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country's freedoms.
To date, over 3100 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan and over 4000 U.S. troops died during the Iraq War. Take time to pray for the families of those who have fallen. Theirs is a sacrifice and pain that never diminishes with time. Pull out the old photo albums and recall with pride your family members and their service to our country.
Share with me some of the stories of your loved ones who have served our great Nation with pride.
To date, over 3100 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan and over 4000 U.S. troops died during the Iraq War. Take time to pray for the families of those who have fallen. Theirs is a sacrifice and pain that never diminishes with time. Pull out the old photo albums and recall with pride your family members and their service to our country.
Share with me some of the stories of your loved ones who have served our great Nation with pride.
Deborah
is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It was
written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their
passion. It will encourage and challenge
the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.
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