Children of Fallen Patriots Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
Michigan's governor proclaimed May 13, 2019 as Children of Fallen Patriots Day, and current state/local government calendars continue to recognize May 13.
About Children of Fallen Patriots Day
Children of Fallen Patriots Day is marked on 13 May through state and local commemorative recognition in the United States.
Government proclamations use the date to recognize children whose military-parent family members died in service and to draw attention to the effects of that loss.
Why Children of Fallen Patriots Day matters
The available evidence is decentralized: individual governors and public agencies recognize the date, but that is not the same as a federal statutory holiday.
This guide therefore describes the documented state/local status without assigning a single national founding authority that the reviewed sources do not establish.
History of Children of Fallen Patriots Day
A Michigan governor’s proclamation designated May 13, 2019 as Children of Fallen Patriots Day in Michigan and noted that Michigan was among states that had honored the date.
Michigan state material again listed Children of Fallen Patriots Day on May 13 in later Military Appreciation Month programming.
Connecticut government material lists May 13 in its 2026 military-appreciation calendar and says the day was established in 2014, but the reviewed evidence does not identify one federal founding instrument or first nationwide observance.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
9 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe Children of Fallen Patriots Day
Read a state proclamation to see exactly what jurisdiction it covers and avoid describing it as federal law.
Learn about education and support resources available to children in military-bereaved families through reputable public or nonprofit sources.
If sharing a personal story, respect family privacy and avoid assuming that all bereaved military families use the same language or traditions.
Distinguish Children of Fallen Patriots Day from Memorial Day and other military commemorations, which have different histories and legal statuses.
Children of Fallen Patriots Day Facts
The recurring commemorative date is May 13.
Michigan officially proclaimed Children of Fallen Patriots Day for May 13, 2019.
Current state-government calendars continue to recognize May 13.
The reviewed evidence supports state/local recognition rather than a federal statutory holiday.
The reason May 13 was originally selected is not established in the reviewed government sources.
Children of Fallen Patriots Day Messages
May Children of Fallen Patriots Day be approached with care for historical context, accurate information and respect for the people and institutions connected with the commemoration.
For those observing Children of Fallen Patriots Day, the day can be a time to learn from documented history without turning commemoration into a claim the sources do not support.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
- Minors Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Connecticut DAS — Military Appreciation Month 2026 (opens in a new tab)
State Government
State of Michigan — Children of Fallen Patriots Day proclamation (opens in a new tab)
State Government
Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs — Military Appreciation Month 2021 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Children of Fallen Patriots Day?
13 May The documented recurrence rule is: 13 May.
Does Children of Fallen Patriots Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Children of Fallen Patriots Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States / state and local commemorative recognition. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Children of Fallen Patriots Day?
The documented basis is: Michigan's governor proclaimed May 13, 2019 as Children of Fallen Patriots Day, and current state/local government calendars continue to recognize May 13.. Supporting evidence includes State of Michigan — Children of Fallen Patriots Day proclamation. The site does not infer a separate creator or founder unless reviewed evidence establishes one.
Is Children of Fallen Patriots Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / state and local commemorative recognition.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-09.
When is Children of Fallen Patriots Day?
It is marked on 13 May.
Is it established here as a U.S. federal holiday?
No. The reviewed evidence documents state and local governmental recognition, not a federal statutory holiday.
Why is May 13 used?
The reviewed government sources verify the recurring date but do not establish the original reason May 13 was selected.
Other observances on May 13
These observances are also listed on May 13, 2027.
IEEE Global Engineering Day
Multiple IEEE first-party channels document May 13 as IEEE Global Engineering Day and show active IEEE organizational/community use. The recurring date and current IEEE identity are support…
Top Gun Day
The dedicated Top Gun Day site explicitly identifies May 13 as Top Gun Day and maintains future-year countdown information for the date.