I’d like to take a moment to give a huge shout-out to all Things fans serving in the U.S. Military. You guys are real-life superheroes, and your selflessness, bravery, and loyalty are an enormous part of what makes America great! Thank you for your service, and Happy Armed Forces Day!

For those unfamiliar with this holiday, you may be thinking, “Wait… is Bobby referring to Memorial Day?” or “Hold up… I thought Veterans Day was in November.”

Allow me to clear that up for you…

Tomorrow, is Armed Forces Day, a holiday celebrated every year on the third Saturday in May. In 1950, President Truman proclaimed Armed Forces Day to be a “combined demonstration by America’s defense team of its progress . . . towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality.”  In other words, it’s a day in which we honor the brave men and women who currently serve in all branches of the U.S. military, and they get to show us just how awesome they are (air show, anyone?).

Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday in May, originally began as Decoration Day following the Civil War, where citizens would decorate the graves of fallen Union soldiers. By the 20th century, it became known as Memorial Day and had been extended to honor all American military personnel who’ve died serving our country.

In 1938, Armistice Day was made a legal holiday to celebrate the cessation of hostilities between the Allied Nations and Germany on November 11, 1918, and to honor the veterans of the first World War. Following WWII and the Korean War, U.S. Congress later changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Put simply, Armed Forces Day honors current military personnel, Memorial Day honors--or memorializes--those who’ve died in military service, and Veterans Day honors those who have previously served in the military--including those who have paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.

If you’re looking for a unique way to honor the troops in your life, or show off your own military pride, we’ve got a wide variety of Military Things at ThingsYouNeverKnew.com. Check ‘em out, and if you see a fellow Things fan sporting one of our caps or tees, be sure to thank that patriot for their service!


See you next week,
Bobby