BANNERS: Military Spouse Appreciation Day! | May 12

Thanks to President Ronald Reagan, the first National Military Spouses Appreciation Day was observed on May 23, 1984. President Ronald Reagan recognized the profound importance of spouse commitment to the readiness and well-being of military members and declared May 23, 1984 the first Military Spouse Day with Proclamation 5184, dated April 17, 1984.

Originally intended on being a one-off holiday, the US Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger standardized the date by declaring the Friday preceding Mother’s Day as Military Spouse Day aka National Military Spouses Appreciation Day.

In 2016, President Obama was quoted as saying that military families “give up their time with loved ones so we may live safely and freely. Few Americans fully understand the sacrifices made by those who serve in uniform, but for spouses of service members across our country, the costs of the freedom we too often take for granted are known intimately. On Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we honor the spouses of those who have left behind everything they know and love to join our Nation’s unbroken chain of patriots, and we recommit to giving military spouses the respect, dignity, and support they deserve.”

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

Source(s): heavy | wikipedia | militarybenefits