ARMED FORCES DAY EVENT FEATURES MILITARY VEHICLES AND VIETNAM PHOTOS

Description

The Historical Society of Palm Beach County will honor past and present U.S. troops during its popular free family event for Armed Forces Day, on Saturday, May 19.  Visitors to the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum will be entertained and informed during a colorful commemoration of our nation’s military history and Palm Beach County’s veterans.

The event opens with the pledge of allegiance following a color guard ceremony at 10:30 am. Displays and presentations highlight resources for local veterans, and guests are invited to photograph and touch vintage and modern military vehicles. Various veteran organizations, including Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, and Palm Beach County Veterans Court will provide information. Children and adults are encouraged to decorate cards to be mailed to soldiers overseas, participate in free craft projects, and join docent-led museum tours.
DATE:                      Saturday, May 19, 2018
SCHEDULE:           10:00 am – 1:00 pm:  Museum open; ongoing arts and crafts, and displays
                                10:30 am:  Opening Ceremony | Pledge of Allegiance and Color Guard Presentation
                                11:30 am:  Docent-led tour of special exhibit Shipwreck: Discovering Lost Treasures, on the                                 second floor. The self-guided exhibit Picturing Nam: U.S. Military Photography of the Vietnam                                 War is open in the third-floor historic courtroom.
LOCATION:      The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum in the historic 1916 Court House and its west lawn, 300 North Dixie Highway, downtown West Palm Beach
 
This event is free and open to the public. Free parking is available in the 4th Street lot across from the West Palm Beach fire station, between Dixie Highway and Olive Avenue. For more information, please call 561-832-4164 ext. 103 or visit www.hspbc.org.
          
Armed Forces Day Honor Guard Sponsor: Pratt & Whitney (a United Technologies Company)
Event Sponsor: Downtown Development Authority West Palm Beach and AARP Florida
          This event is neither sponsored by nor affiliated with Palm Beach County government.
 
ABOUT ARMED FORCES DAY. On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Days. The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense. Then President Harry S. Truman stated at the time of its inception: “Armed Forces Day 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.” For more information on Armed Forces Day, please visit http://www.defense.gov/afd/history.aspx.