• By Steve Morgan
• May 13, 2021

Military Appreciation Month

In 1999 Congress officially recognized May as National Military Appreciation Month. The month includes several key dates related to the men and women serving or who have served in the military.

Here’s a list of those key dates and what they mean:

Loyalty Day (May 1) is for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.

National Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 7) is a proclamation by the President of the Unites States to celebrate the Friday before Mother’s Day and honor the contributions and sacrifices made by military spouses.

VE Day (May 8) also known as Victory in Europe Day, celebrates the formal acceptance by the Allies of Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces in World War II on Tuesday, May 8, 1945.

Armed Forces Day (May 15) was first observed in May 1950, the day was created to honor Americans serving in all five the U.S. military branches instead of each branch having a separate day of celebration.

Memorial Day (May 31) is observed on the last Monday in May and honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

One way to celebrate National Military Appreciation Month is to visit one or more of the numerous military-related commemorative works in the Washington, DC area, all of which can be found on NCPC’s Memorial Map. Here are some suggestions:

The Tomb of the Unknowns – located in the heart of Arlington National Cemetery this iconic yet somber memorial provides a place of mourning and a site for reflection on military service. Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Regiment, also known as “The Old Guard,” have been guarding the tomb 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since April 6, 1948.

The World War II Memorial – located on the National Mall just west of the Washington Monument and east of the Lincoln Memorial, this popular destination opened in 2004 and offers visitors a place to reflect on the sacrifices of “the greatest generation.” The memorial consists of 56 pillars, representing U.S. states and territories, and two small arches representing the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war.

The Marine Corps War Memorial – located north of Arlington National Cemetery and near the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, this monument is based on Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize winning photo of U.S. Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi after winning one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific war. Both sides suffered great losses in the Battle of Iwo JIma, with almost 21,000 Japanese and almost 7,000 Americans dying.

These are just a few of the dozens of military related memorials that are listed on NCPC’s Memorial Map. Click the buttons below for more information about the above memorials and other commemorative works in the Washington, DC area.

Memorials Map Tomb of the Unknowns World War II Marine Corps War Memorial