Armed Forces Day Parade

Celebrating the strength, courage, and dedication of our nation’s military has long been a tradition in Kitsap County.  Prior to 1947, each of the military branches was recognized individually.  The enactment of the National Security Act on July 26, 1947 combined all of the armed forces and in honor of that occasion, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson proclaimed August 31, 1949 as the first Armed Forces Day.  On February 27, 1950 President Harry Truman signed the official proclamation and from then on, the nation has celebrated our military branches together.  With the military so close to our hearts in Kitsap County, we embraced the idea of a joint Armed Forces Day with vigor.  Even prior to the official proclamation of Armed Forces Day, the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce organized an unofficial parade to be held on Memorial Day weekend in 1948.  With Armed Forces Day becoming an official holiday, Bremerton Mayor L. Hum Kean quickly rallied the Chamber of Commerce to head up the festivities, and the first official Armed Forces Day was a raving success.  It is estimated that over 14,000 people watched the first local Armed Forces Day parade-what a way to show our support of the military, a tradition that continues today!