Military Observances

Find out the different military observances and the differences between each day.

Armed Forces Day. Observed the third Saturday in May, this day is for all who currently serve and all who have served, both active and former, in the reserves, National Guard or on active duty, including the Coast Guard.  It replaced separate days that honored various branches of the military (Army, Air Force and Navy).

Veterans Day. Celebrated annually on November 11, this day of observance is for all living and deceased who have served in the military.

Memorial Day. Celebrated annually on the last Monday in May, this day of observance is for all who died while serving

National Guard Birthday Celebrated December 13, honors all citizen-soldiers who have civilian jobs but are available to provide support and protection for the states’ civilians. They may be called for military operations at a national level.

Within this Collection

A Time to Fight, Part 4
Episode 4

Video

In June of 1940, Camp Jackson became a permanent military installation and its name was changed to Fort Jackson. Individuals recall various aspects of the training they received there and the...
A Time to Fight, Part 1
Episode 1

Video

This episode follows our veterans from their childhoods to the attack on Pearl Harbor and following through to the first battles of the war in North Africa, Italy and Sicily. Additional sections...
The Way Home, Part 6
Episode 6

Video

Veterans provide advice to future generations, and reflect on the responsibilities that come with freedom, and their wishes for a world without war. They remember those who didn't survive, and they...
The Way Home, Part 5
Episode 5

Video

On August 11, 1945, the Emperor of Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration, which specified the unconditional surrender of Japan. The war was over, the Americans rejoiced, and the troops headed home...
The Way Home, Part 3
Episode 3

Video

Okinawa was the final Japanese island before the mainland. It would be the largest amphibious invasion in history. The Americans had to control the air and the water. The orders came that the...
The Way Home, Part 4
Episode 4

Video

Our veterans discuss the era in which the atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their recollections of this time..
The Way Home, Part 2
Episode 2

Video

With its navy destroyed, the Japanese have come to recognize that their last line of defense is through suicide attacks on American ships. From the American ships, the kamikazes looked like a swarm of...
The Way Home, Part 1
Episode 1

Video

This segment focuses on the racial discrimination that existed during World War II and how it affected those who served their country. The military was segregated. There were African Americans from...
The Island War, Part 4
Episode 4

Video

As U.S. troops captured island after island, Japan felt the war slipping away. At Leyte Gulf, Japan lost its navy. In the Philippines, it lost its footing. MacArthur captured the world stage and the...