RED Friday Shirts – Wear Red on Fridays to Support Our Troops!

Have you heard about this movement called Red Shirt Friday? If you haven’t, you’ll soon wonder how it flew under your radar for the past 15 years. Yes, it’s been around for almost 15 years!

Truth be told, I come from a family of military vets and I didn’t hear about this until last year when my son earned the title of U.S. Marine. When your baby is sent to a war-torn country, RED Fridays suddenly take on a whole new meaning. And RED Friday shirts are at the center of it all.

Here are some questions you might be asking. I’ve got answers, and some RED Friday shirt designs to go along with them.

What is Red Shirt Friday?

Red Shirt Friday is a movement that began in 2005 encouraging all American military supporters to wear red on Fridays to support our troops.

The most popular items to wear are called RED Friday Shirts, which are specially designed t-shirts that bear some type of RED Fridays logo and military type design. The shirts are usually red in color but may also be white, blue, grey or black with red printing on them.

What does the R.E.D. in RED Friday mean?

R.E.D. stands for Remember Everyone Deployed. RED Fridays are an opportunity to show support to our military by wearing the color red to let every service man and woman know that we are thinking of them and appreciate them and the sacrifices they make every day for our freedom.

Who started RED Friday?

I’m not sure if anyone knows exactly WHO started RED Fridays, but we do have an idea of WHAT started it…an email chain letter! You remember those chain letters that you used to get in the mail? They asked you to make 10 copies and mail them to 10 friends, and then they’d do the same, and so on, and before you knew it there were a lot of those letters being sent around! And then the birth of emails made it even easier to forward such chain emails.

Well, that’s what started RED Fridays…an email chain back in 2005! According to SNOPES.com, this is how the original email chain read:

“The Americans who support our troops, are the silent majority. We are not “organized” to reflect who we are, or to reflect what our opinions are. Many Americans, like yourself, would like to start a grassroots movement using the membership of the Special Operations Association, and Special Forces Associations, and all their friends, simply to recognize that Americans support our troops.

We need to inform the local VFW’s and American Legion, our local press, local TV, and continue carrying the message to the national levels as we start to get this going. Our idea of showing our solidarity and support for our troops is starting Friday, and continuing on each and every Friday, until this is over, that every RED – blooded American who supports our young men and women, WEAR SOMETHING RED.

Word of mouth, press, TV — let’s see if we can make the United States, on any given Friday, a sea of RED much like a home football game at a university.

If every one of our memberships share this with other acquaintances, fellow workers, friends, and neighbors, I guarantee that it will not be long before the USA will be covered in RED – and make our troops know there are many people thinking of their well-being. You will feel better all day Friday when you wear RED!

Let’s get the word out and lead by example; wear RED on Fridays.

Please forward this to everyone you know!! Wear RED on Fridays. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE. FOR US, THEIR BLOOD RUNS RED!! GOD BLESS AMERICA.”

Why do RED Fridays matter?

It may seem like a tiny act, but it means much more than people realize! When people wear an article of red clothing – a shirt, tie, anything – on Fridays, it shows that we remember our deployed men and women and that we appreciate them and the sacrifices they make for us every day. And when you have a son, daughter, spouse, or anyone you care about deployed, you find out just how much it really does matter!

Many large companies and corporations are now starting to get involved and show their patriotism and support as an organization by having their employees wear red on Fridays. I think that is a wonderful act that says a lot about a company, especially those that employ many veterans.

Is every Friday RED Friday?

As the slogan goes…Remember Everyone Deployed, Until They All Come Home! So, yes, until every single service man and women comes home and there are no longer U.S. military members deployed overseas, EVERY Friday will be a RED Friday!

What does the RED color represent?

Red is a very emotional, intense color. It is the color of fire and blood, so it is only natural that it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, and determination as well as passion, desire, and love. All of that emotional meaning makes it the perfect color for RED Fridays.

Where can I buy RED Friday Shirts (sometimes called R.E.D. t shirts)?

A simple Google search will give you countless choices for purchasing RED Friday Shirts. And as a t-shirt graphic designer and a proud Marine Mom, I am constantly designing new R.E.D. t shirts that are for sale in my shop, and ready-to-print RED Friday t shirt designs available to download here on Designs4Screen, many that you’ve seen throughout this blog post.

Many times, there will be custom RED Friday shirts created specifically for a deployed company, branch, or unit that will bear their custom information. This special “deployment swag” will usually be available for families to purchase at the time of deployment on location and sometimes they’ll make them available to purchase online for those who could not be present at the deployment.

No matter where, or if, you purchase RED Friday shirts, the most important thing is to just wear red on Fridays to support our troops and remember the hearts behind the heroes. It doesn’t really matter if you wear RED Friday shirts, or a red tie or sweatpants, or red nail polish. Just wear your RED!