Celebrating our military on Armed Forces Day

There are lots of important days in May - Mother's Day on the 10th, Memorial Day on the 25th, Cinco de Mayo on, well, the 5th. But May 16 is also important as it marks Armed Forces Day across the United States.

To clear up any confusion about Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and other similar days (Veterans Day, for example), here's a quick primer.

Armed Forces Day: According to MilitaryBenefits.info, " ...originally, there were single day celebrations for each branch of the military, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force; this format changed on August 21, 1949, when Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day." This was prompted by the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense. The longest running Armed Forces Day celebration is a parade that takes place on the other side of the country in Bremerton, Washington. Last year marked the 71st parade, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizers to postpone this year's event.

Memorial Day: Now the unofficial beginning of summer, this holiday is meant to honor all members of the military who have deceased.

Veterans Day: This holiday is meant to celebrate those who honorably served in the military during war or peace.

Here's another perspective:

• Armed Forces Day: For those who currently wear a uniform.
• Veterans Day: For those who used to wear a uniform.
• Memorial Day: For those who died wearing a uniform.

Virtua Health is proud to celebrate Armed Forces Day and all those who serve in 2020. Its Military Affairs Services Department helps streamline processes, fast-tracks authorizations, and obtains same-day appointments when necessary. Virtua navigators have long-standing ties with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and understand the needs and concerns of those they serve.

Virtua's long partnership with our military has resulted in some inspiring stories, too.

As a member of the Air Force, Taylor Tritten knew he needed top notch care for his wife Elenilza “Elen” Tritten, who became the first person to receive a new mitral heart valve via a minimally invasive procedure (TMVR or transcatheter mitral valve replacement) while pregnant.
The heart procedure, performed at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden when she was 16 weeks pregnant, saved two lives: Elen’s and her baby’s. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Denver, on October 1, 2019. You can watch their inspirational story here.

Army veteran Ebony Bost was a single mother facing breast cancer who drew strength from her daughter to persevere. She got tremendous support from her nurse navigator - "the best, the best the best ever." You can watch her story here.

Eight years in the army, running every day, dancing since the fourth grade - Griselle “Gigi” Cepeda of Mount Holly, New Jersey, isn’t herself if she’s sitting still, which is why when her second hip started giving her trouble and she was unable to move, she got depressed. But Virtua helped her get back on her feet. She said, “If my story can convince anyone else to stop putting off hip surgery, tell it to everyone.” Here's your chance to read that story.

Army veteran Ron Grunsby Sr. suffered for a decade with debilitating knee pain that forced him to miss family outings and avoid activities that he loved. After quad-sparing knee replacement surgeries he's doing things that he never dreamed were possible. Read his inspiring story.

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