May officially named Military Appreciation Month to recognize and celebrate those currently serving and previously served in the military. The month holds several specific holidays recognizing military members – Military Spouse Appreciation Day is the Friday before Mother’s Day in May. Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May, and Memorial Day is the last Monday in May.
Military Appreciation Discounts
Many businesses across the nation offer discounts to the military in honor of Military Appreciation Month. Some of these discounts are offered year-round – like the Waves of Honor program offering free admission to active duty military and their family members at Busch Gardens, Sea World and Sesame Place locations. Colonial Williamsburg offers free admission for active-duty military, Reservists, National Guard personnel, retired military and veterans, and up to three direct dependents on Memorial Day weekend. In the past, Legoland Discovery Centers have offered a higher discounted admission for the month of May to military members than their baseline military discount. These businesses offer discounts or free admission to thank military families for their service while allowing them to spend quality time together.
Military Spouse Appreciation Day
Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a day set aside to recognize military spouses’ contributions to supporting their Active-Duty partners. The unpredictable schedules, deployments, reintegration, training and separations are all managed by military spouses at home. President Ronald Regan established Military Spouse Appreciation Day in 1984 as part of Proclamation 5184. Many installations and units will celebrate military spouse appreciation with special appreciation events.
If able to, show your military spouse appreciation by thanking them for all they have done, giving them a day off, or simply doing things to help that he/she may not like to do around the house. Record a video expressing your gratitude if you are deployed or out of the area when Military Spouse Appreciation Day occurs.
Armed Forces Day
Armed Forces Day is the third Saturday in May. Armed Forces Day is a day set aside to recognize and celebrate military members actively serving. President Truman announced the formation of the holiday, specifically stating, “Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 1950, marks the first combined demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress, under the National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air defense”.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday in May as a way to reflect on and remember those who served and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. While it has only been an official holiday for about 60 years, it has been a day set apart since after the Civil War.
Honor those who served by visiting memorials. Washington, DC, has several memorials, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and World War II Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is near Constitution Gardens with three distinct parts: Three Soldiers Statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The Wall lists over 58,000 names of those who passed serving in the war. The Korean War Memorial honors those who served and lost their lives with statues representing the armed forces and a list of those who lost their lives in the Pool of Remembrance. The World War II Memorial honors the 16 million individuals who served during the war with a memorial with representation for the 48 states and seven federal territories.
Outside of Washington, D.C., the World War II Museum in New Orleans is a great place to visit, learn about the war, and remember those lives lost on not just Memorial Day but every day. Check your local area for memorials that may be specific to your location. There may be ceremonies on Memorial Day specifically to honor those who paid the ultimate price, and this provides an opportunity to take the time to honor and remember them.
Contact your local military cemetery to see if they need help laying flags or flowers on the graves of those who died in service.
While Military Appreciation Month may be just a month, military members serve every day around the globe. Thank you for your unwavering service.
