Armed Forces Day Dinners, once known as National Defense Dinners, have become an important part of the Louisville tradition. The Louisville Armed Forces Day Dinner was established as an annual event in 1919 by local citizens at the urging of its first guest speaker, General John J. “Blackjack” Pershing, to honor our victorious military forces in the aftermath of World War I.  GEN Pershing was traveling the nation urging major communities to do the same.  The Louisville Armed Forces Committee (LAFC) has evolved over the years into an organization dedicated to the development and maintenance of optimum military-civilian relations within the Louisville metropolitan area through educational and social initiatives.  
Our annual dinner, the nation’s oldest continuous such event, honors outstanding Greater Louisville Area active duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, as well as our region’s top college and high school ROTC students.  Keynote speakers have included the President of the United States, U.S. Senators and Congressional leaders, Secretaries of various military services; United States Ambassadors to foreign nations, and numerous 4-star Generals and Admirals. 

Annual Armed Forces Day Dinner