NATIONAL FORGET-ME-NOT DAY

National Forget-Me-Not Day is observed annually on November 10. Created in 1921 to remind Americans of the sacrifices returning soldiers have made for out country.
National Forget-Me-Not Day originally raised funds for services where there were none.

This day even has its own special flower, the Forget-Me-Not.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Remember to thank our disabled veterans. Use #ForgetMeNotDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Forget-Me-Not Day hearkens back to The Great War and the wounded returning soldiers who continued to require care long after the war was over.  The wounded veterans’ plight was not new, but the government was unprepared for the number of returning wounding requiring care. Very few services and organizations existed to provide the care and support the veterans required. A movement to remember and support these returning soldiers began in earnest in 1921.

Judge Robert S. Marx called on the nation to establish Forget-Me-Not Day to remind the country of their sacrifices and raised funds for disabled soldiers through the sale of forget-me-nots. Injured during the during  The first published occurrence of this day was on December 17, 1921.

Injured on November 10, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Marx returned to the United States from his injuries.  A lawyer before he was a soldier, he took up his practice once more and soon was elected judge.  His interest in veteran’s affairs became apparent. From fundraising to speeches, Marx made the rounds.  In 1920, the Disabled American Veterans of the World War was founded and headed by Judge Marx himself.  The first National Caucus was held on September 25, 1920.  It was through the DAVWW in 1922 that the first official Forget-Me-Not Day fundraising campaign launched on November 11.

Throughout the 1920s, various days in November were selected to observe National Forget-Me-Not Day, including November 11 now established as Veteran’s Day or Armistice Day.   Another well-known Forget-Me-Not Day is September 26th.  Also known as Argonne Day in honor of the decisive battle through the Meuse-Argonne Forest.

Today, the organization that founded National Forget-Me-Not Day is simply the Disabled American Veterans, supporting all disabled veterans.

The Knox County Veteran’s Service Office is a wonderful resource for veterans and their families.

Their Mission Statement:

The Mission of the Knox County Veterans Services Office and its officers is to provide eligible veterans and their families with those benefits to which they may be entitled under federal, state and local law, in accordance with established policies and procedures.

Find out more about their services on their website. Click HERE.

There are several events happening TOMORROW for Veteran’s Day.