Veterans and Military Calendar 2023

The day in 1945 that the unconditional surrender of Germany came into effect, ending World War II in Europe. The surrender had been accepted the previous day at Gen. Dwight Eisenhower’s headquarters in Reims, France.

May 12 

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Recognizes the support and contribution of military spouses. It was established in 1984 and is marked on the Friday in May before Mother’s Day.

May 13

Children of Fallen Patriots Day           

More than 15,000 children have lost parents in war during the past 25 years. Children of Fallen Patriots Day is designed to honor and help them. The date was selected because it marks the day Arlington National Cemetery was established in 1864. Established in 2014, the day is not yet nationally recognized.

May 20

Armed Forces Day 

Observed on the third Saturday of every May, this is a day dedicated to paying tribute to those currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. Established in 1949.

May 22 

National Maritime Day     

Celebrates America's maritime history. On this day in 1819, the SS Savannah left its home port of Savannah, Georgia, on its way to Liverpool, England. Some 29 days and four hours later, it became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. Established in 1933. 

May 29 

Memorial Day

Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors those who died while serving in the U.S. military. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. local time. Memorial Day originated in the aftermath of the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Waterloo, New York, which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866, is known as the birthplace of Memorial Day.

June 6

79th Anniversary of D-Day

Commemorates the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II, which began with Operation Overlord in 1944, when 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified French coast.

June 12 

Women Veterans Day

Currently a state-recognized commemoration in California, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Marks the 75th anniversary of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948. Established in 2018.     

June 14 

Flag Day    

Celebrates the adoption of the U.S. flag on this day in 1777, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Established in 1916.

Army 248th Birthday

On this day in 1775, Congress “Resolved, that six companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised ... and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the Chief Officer in that army.” The next day Congress voted to appoint George Washington “to command all the Continental forces.”

June 23 

Coast Guard Auxiliary 84th Birthday        

On this day in 1939, Congress authorized the creation of a reserve component for the Coast Guard. At the time, it was made up of civilian volunteers.

June 27

National PTSD Awareness Day           

Established in 2010 to raise awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder. Earlier identified as “nostalgia,” “soldier’s heart” or “irritable heart,” it later became known as “shell shock,” “war neuroses,” and then as “combat stress reaction” or “battle fatigue.” The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are about 8 million people in the U.S. suffering from PTSD.

July 4

Independence Day — 247th Birthday of the United States

Independence Day, or the Fourth of July, has been a federal holiday since 1941. It marks the day in 1776 when delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, Independence Day has been celebrated as the birthday of America, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more intimate get-togethers and cookouts.

27 July

Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

Marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War in 1953. The war began on June 25, 1950, when the North Korean army invaded South Korea. The armistice, signed in Panmunjom, was the result of 158 meetings spread over two years and 17 days.

July 29

Army Chaplain Corps 248th Birthday

On this day in 1775, Gen. George Washington told the Continental Congress: “We need chaplains.” Thus, the Army Chaplain Corps was established.

Aug. 4

Coast Guard 233rd Birthday                       

Marks the day in 1790 on which the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling and protect federal revenue collectors. The service received its current name in 1915.

Aug. 7

Purple Heart Day

A day to acknowledge and remember the sacrifices made by the brave members of our military. The Purple Heart medal is awarded to service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action. More than 1.8 million Purple Heart medals have been presented to service members since the award was created in 1782. The Purple Heart officially received its modern-day look and name in 1932.

Aug. 7 was chosen because it was on that day in 1782 that Gen. George Washington directed that “whenever any singularly meritorious action is performed, the author of it shall be permitted to wear on his facings over the left breast, the figure of a heart in purple cloth, or silk, edged with narrow lace or binding.”

Aug. 14

Spirit of ’45 Day          

Occurring every second Sunday in August, this is a day to pay tribute to the “greatest generation” — those who served their country and contributed to the Allied victory over fascism and imperialism in World War II. Established in 2010.

Navajo Code Talkers Day

Honors the contributions of Native Americans to the United States war effort during World War II, in particular those who used a “Navajo code” to conceal communications from the enemy. Established in 1982, 40 years after the Code Talkers plan was formed, leading to Native Americans taking part in every assault by Marines in the Pacific during the war, from 1942 to 1945.

Aug. 29

Marine Forces Reserve 107th Birthday

Marks the day in 1916 that established the United States Marine Corps Reserve as part of the Naval Appropriations Act. The Marine Reserves have acted alongside the active Corps component in every major conflict since World War I.

Sept. 2

88th Anniversary of V-J Day           

On this day in 1945, formal Japanese surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, ending World War II.

Sept. 11

Patriot Day and 22ndAnniversary of 9/11 Attacks

Two months after the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks of 2001 that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, Congress declared that Sept. 11 be Patriot Day. Americans observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. ET, the moment the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

Sept. 15

POW/MIA Recognition Day

The third Friday in September has been designated National POW/MIA Recognition Day since 1979. Ceremonies honor those who were held captive and returned, as well as those who remain missing.

Sept. 17

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

On this day in 1787, the United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Citizenship Day was established in 1952, replacing “I Am an American Day,” which had been the third Sunday in May since 1940. The law establishing the present holiday was created in 2004.

Sept. 18

Air Force 76th Birthday

The United States Air Force was established on this day in 1947 by the National Security Act, which also marked the birth of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The Air Force cites six predecessor organizations, beginning in 1907.     

Sept. 24

Gold Star Mother’s and Family Day

A Gold Star family member is someone whose relative died while serving the nation in uniform. Established in 1936 as Gold Star Mother’s Day, it was renamed in 2011 to include the recognition of other Gold Star family members.

Sept. 29

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Day  

The nation’s oldest combat veterans service organization celebrates the 124th anniversary of its founding on this day. The VFW—originally called the American Veterans of Foreign Service—was started by 13 Spanish-American War veterans in 1899.

Oct. 7

22nd Anniversary of the Beginning of the Afghanistan War

On this day in 2001, a U.S.-led coalition begins an intense bombing campaign against Taliban targets in Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks. This was the first military action of the “war on terror.” The Afghanistan war would last two decades and become the longest war in American history.

Oct. 13

Navy 248th Birthday

Marks the day in 1775 when the Continental Congress resolved that “a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months.” Officially established in 1972 “to enhance a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage.”

Oct. 26

National Day of the Deployed

Honors service members who have been deployed in service of our country while also acknowledging the sacrifices that military families make. The first National Day of the Deployed was observed in 2006 in North Dakota. By 2012, every state in the U.S. was observing this day.       

November

Military Family Month       

A time to acknowledge the sacrifices of military families. Established in 1996.           

Warrior Care Month         

Established by the Pentagon in 2008 to spread awareness of the needs of wounded service members.

Nov. 10

Marine Corps 248th Birthday

Marks the day in 1775 that the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, passed a resolution stating that “two Battalions of Marines be raised” for service as landing forces with the fleet. First designated in 1921.       

Nov. 11

Veterans Day           

Held on Nov. 11 each year to mark the anniversary of the end of World War I, Veterans Day honors all those who have served our country. It is also celebrated in other countries. 

President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day in 1919, saying: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with.”

Established as an annual holiday in 1938 and, in modern times, honors all those who have worn military uniform, while Memorial Day commemorates those who have died.

Dec. 7

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 

In the words of President Franklin Roosevelt, on “Dec. 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Some 2,403 civilians and service members were killed, 188 aircraft were destroyed and the battleships USS Arizona and USS Utah sank. Prompted the U.S. to enter World War II.           

Dec. 9

National Wreaths Across America Day

The tradition of laying wreaths to honor our veterans during the holiday season began in 1992, when a Maine business owner donated 5,000 wreaths to be placed at the headstones of an older section of Arlington National Cemetery.​ Wreaths Across America was formed as a nonprofit in 2007 and has since grown into a national movement.

Dec. 13

National Guard 387th Birthday

Marks the day in 1636 when the Massachusetts General Court in Salem issued an order requiring all able-bodied men between 16 and 60 years old to create a standing Army for protection. That created the first militia on the North American continent, an army of citizen soldiers who could be called upon to fight when needed. The National Guard is therefore the oldest military organization in the U.S.          

Dec. 20

Space Force 4th Birthday           

The U.S. Space Force was established on this day in 2019, when the National Defense Authorization Act created the first new branch of the armed services in 73 years.

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