September is Military Month

You could say September is Military Month, even though there are holidays throughout the year which celebrate the military.

Patriot Day is September 13, a day also known as the National Day of Service and Remembrance, occurs on September 11 each year in memory of those killed during the terrorist attacks. Those we lost September 11, 2001, will forever hold a cherished place in our hearts and in the history or our nation. The day includes a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. EDT.

CONSTITUTION DAY and CITIZINSHIP DAY is celebrated September 17 and commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitutional on that date in 1787 by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. It established the framework of our government and the rights of freedom that “We The People” enjoy today.

The Air Force birthday is September 18 and was so named after several name changes: Aeronautical Section, Signal Corps (1909), Aviation Section, Signal Corps (1914). United States Army Air Service (1918), United States Army Air Corps (1926) and United States Army, finally becoming the United States Air Force.

AIR NATIONAL GUARD also is celebrated on September 18. Although the Air National Guard was not established as a separatereserve component of the U.S. Air Force until September 18, 1947, National Guard aviators have played significant roles in all of America’s wars and most of its major contingencies since the 1st World War era. They also aided their states in coping with natural disasters and civil unrest since the mid- 1920s.

POW/MIA Recognition Day is the third Friday in September. It honors the commitments and the sacrifices made by our nation’s prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is one of the six days specified by law on which the black POW/MIA flag shall be flown over federal facilities and cemeteries, post offices and military installations.

GOLD STAR MOTHER’S/FAMILY DAY is the last Sunday in September. This day honors mothers and families who have lost a service member in the line of duty or in support of military services. The name comes from the custom of families hanging Service Flags in the window of their homes. The Service Flag has a star for each family member in the armed forces. A blue star represents a family member in active-duty service; a silver star represents a family member wounded or injured in a war zone and a gold star represents a family member killed during active duty and stands for sacrifice made for honor and freedom. The American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. was founded shorty World War 1 by Grace Darling Seibold, who lost her son during the war.

Here’s a refresher course on Flag Etiquette at parades:

When an American flag passes:

Stand up

Remove your hat

Place your right hand over your heart

Stop any conversation you are having

Always treat our revered flag with respect; it is a symbol of our precious freedom.

Sharon Kindle

Americanism Chair District 1 Buster Deo Post, Malta