National Loyalty Day “recognizes American freedom and is set aside for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States and the recognition of the heritage of American freedom.” (National Day Calendar)

The website goes on to say that, since 1955, every U.S. President has set aside May 1 as a day to share messages that “speak of loyalty and freedom in equal measure, especially those who serve in the military, and while the messages may stray some in agreement on other topics and the central messages remain the same.”

“First observed in 1921 as Americanization Day, the holiday counterbalanced the Communist celebration of Labor Day on May Day. On July 18, 1958, U.S. Congress made the day an official holiday. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1, 1959, the first official observance of Loyalty Day. Each year since its inception as a legal holiday in 1958, every President has recognized the day with an official proclamation.”

It is the first day of National Military Appreciation Month, a fitting way to start the month with solemn observances and recognition of the people who help protect our various freedoms as Americans (National Loyalty Day).