AFD 2009

Dear Friend:

Nearly 60 years ago President Harry S. Truman established a single Armed Forces Day to honor the men and women who serve in the nation's military, and to replace the separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force observances that were held prior to that time. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense.

Picatinny Arsenal has celebrated Armed Forces Day since President Truman proclaimed that the first observance be held on May 20, 1950. Although Picatinny Arsenal did not have an open house on post that year, it participated in a parade in nearby Dover. The installation held its first Armed Forces Day open house on May 16, 1953, attracting 600 attendees.

On Saturday May 9th, Picatinny Arsenal will once again open its gates to the surrounding community and host an open house for our neighbors, friends and supporters. The men and women of our Armed Forces, along with their families, make sacrifices each day for the safety and welfare of our nation. We'll hope you'll join us on May 9th as we salute them and honor service members from the State of New Jersey and the rest of the nation who have given their lives in the defense of our country. Additional details regarding this year's observance may be found elsewhere on this web site.

If you are unable to attend, please take a few minutes to reflect on our men and women in uniform, many who live and work in your communities who have been called to active duty, to serve and protect our nation, our freedom and democratic way of like.

Russell J. Hrdy
Colonel, U.S. Army
Acting Senior Commander