<>Armed Forces Week May 12 – 20 2007
<>Armed Forces Day  19 May 2007
<>Theme Announced by Department of Defense for 2007
“America Supports You”
Armed Forces Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of May. Armed Forces Week begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May, the day after Armed Forces Day.

Armed Forces Day was created 31 August 1949 after unification of all services under the Department of Defense.  It was first celebrated on 20 May 1950.  The purpose of the Armed Forces Day was to expand the public understanding of what type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life.  It was a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the civilian population they were protecting.   It was a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Excerpts from the past:

May 17, 1952, New York Times article: "It is our most earnest hope that those who are in positions of peril, that those who have made exceptional sacrifices, yes, and those who are afflicted with plain drudgery and boredom, may somehow know that we hold them in exceptional esteem. Perhaps if we are a little more conscious of our debt of honored affection they may be a little more aware of how much we think of them."

"It is fitting and proper that we devote one day each year to paying special tribute to those whose constancy and courage constitute one of the bulwarks guarding the freedom of this nation and the peace of the free world."

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953
 
"Today let us, as Americans, honor the American fighting man. For it is he--the soldier, the sailor, the Airman, the Marine--who has fought to preserve freedom. It is his valor that has given renewed hope to the free world that by working together in discipline and faith our ideals of freedom will always prevail."

Admiral Forrest P. Sherman

"...Word to the Nation: Guard zealously your right to serve in the Armed Forces, for without them, there will be no other rights to guard."

President John F. Kennedy, 1962

 "Only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed."

President John F. Kennedy, 1962

"... Our Servicemen and women are serving throughout the world as guardians of peace--many of them away from their homes, their friends and their families. They are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but inescapable truth--that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal sacrifice."

President John F. Kennedy, 1963

"...Their contribution to our freedom and safety is measureless. Our national security depends on the maintenance of alert military forces as a deterrent to any possible aggressor."

President Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964

"At home and abroad, military men and women are showing purpose and dedication in defending American ideas. They are performing in our country's best traditions under circumstances both difficult and complex. Thanks to their determined spirit of patriotism and professionalism, our country has a powerful and unified defense team, employing its forces in the constant quest for peace and freedom."
The Honorable Melvin Laird, 1972
Former Secretary of Defense
This all still stands true today ….
We have brave men and women who give up  a portion of  their personal freedoms so you and I can do what we do.  They make sacrifices both great and small and some make the ultimate sacrifice.  They are often the first on the scene after a disaster assisting and evacuating civilians, maintaining order, and going in harms way to bring others to safety.  First in the trouble areas and hot spots hoping that the situation stabilizes … but ready to go the distance if it does not.  If they are alive at the end they are tired to the bone, beaten mentally and physically, and often have seen things that will haunt them for years.  But they are Brave, Proud and True and would answer the call again … at a moments notice to Defend, Protect, and Honor their country.

Please show your support and take time to say thank-you to relatives, friends and acquaintances that you know who serve on active duty or the reserves.  They are today’s heroes. They are someone’s Mother, Father, Son, or Daughter making sacrifices today to protect our tomorrow.

God Bless our Service Members and God Bless America and the brave men and women who keep her strong.  

To all Service Members who receive this …. Thank-you …It does not seem enough, but in some small way I hope it can make you feel the appreciation and  pride that we have in all of you who serve and protect this great nation and her interests around the world.

Luke Button