National Yellow Bat Day
National Yellow Bat Day is a friendly reminder that wildlife is closer than we think, and well worth looking up from our phones for.
- Roots
- Submitted in 2016 by Doug Bonnot for the Sentinel Chapter of the 101st Airborne Association.
- Vibe
- A day to honor veterans who served in secrecy.
- Also on Apr 21
- World Creativity and Innovation Day · British National Tea Day · Rendering Day
- Hashtag
- #NationalYellowBatDay
Ways to celebrate
Small, doable ways to celebrate National Yellow Bat Day.
- Learn something specific about the species — one surprising fact.
- Donate to an organization doing real work for them.
- Choose one product at the store with the animal's welfare in mind.
- Share what you learn with a kid who'll care.
- Spend 10 minutes outside looking for them or their tracks.
Make it your kind of celebration
Family
Watch one short documentary together about the animal and talk about what you learned.
Kids
Help them research it, then have them teach you one new fact at dinner.
Couples
Plan a zoo, aquarium, or sanctuary visit and go as a real date.
Office
Share a quick 'did you know' on the team chat or a lunchtime Learning session.
School
Run a one-day classroom mini-project about the species and its ecosystem.
Community
Donate to or volunteer with a conservation nonprofit focused on the animal.
Just me
Read one long-form article about them. Let yourself get into it.
Plan ahead
National Yellow Bat Day is observed on April 21 every year. Here is where it lands for the next ten years, handy for planners, marketers and party people.
Fast facts
The story
National Yellow Bat Day honors the veterans of the 265th Army Security Agency Company (Airborne), known as the Yellow Bats. Observed each year on April 21, the date the Army activated the unit in 1967 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the day was submitted by Doug Bonnot, president of the Sentinel Chapter of the 101st Airborne Association, and proclaimed by the National Day Calendar Registrar in 2016. Before deploying to Vietnam, unit personnel painted their vehicles and equipment with a yellow bat so the unit's gear could be identified from a distance.
Read the full story
The official insignia of the 265th is a bat with outstretched wings on a full moon rising, bearing the motto "Through the Night." Symbolically, the bat represents mystery and secrecy because of its nocturnal nature, a fitting image for the intelligence support the unit provided. The Yellow Bat symbolizes these veterans' secrecy and their service through the night.
The 265th deployed to Vietnam on November 19, 1967, as the 265th Radio Research Company (Airborne), providing intelligence support to the 101st Airborne Division. Because the unit's activities were highly classified, these honorable veterans' sacrifices remained cloaked in secrecy for decades after the war. Today, the mobile Sentinel Museum preserves the story of the 265th and increases awareness of its contributions.
To observe National Yellow Bat Day, take time to learn about the Vietnam War and those who served, read "The Sentinel and the Shooter" by Douglas W. Bonnot, tour the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or volunteer for a veterans' organization.
Did you know?
The Insignia
The 265th's official insignia shows a bat with outstretched wings on a rising full moon, with the motto Through the Night below.
Yellow Equipment
Before deploying, personnel painted all the unit's vehicles and equipment with a yellow bat so it could be identified from a distance.
Vietnam Deployment
On November 19, 1967, the unit deployed to Vietnam as the 265th Radio Research Company (Airborne).
Tet Offensive
The 265th manned the defensive perimeter of Bien Hoa Air Base some 12 hours before the Tet Offensive was launched.
Secret Service
The 265th's intelligence work was highly classified, and its veterans' sacrifices stayed cloaked in secrecy for decades.
The Sentinel Museum
The Sentinel Museum, a mobile museum, preserves the story of the 265th Radio Research Company.
Founded in 2016
Doug Bonnot, who served with the unit, submitted National Yellow Bat Day in 2016.
Around the world
Every culture celebrates a little differently.
- USUnited StatesNational Yellow Bat Day honors the veterans of the 265th Army Security Agency Company (Airborne).
- MXFort Campbell, KentuckyThe Army activated the 265th at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on April 21, 1967.
- BRVietnamThe unit deployed to Vietnam in November 1967 as the 265th Radio Research Company (Airborne).
- ARBien HoaThe 265th defended the perimeter of Bien Hoa Air Base during the Tet Offensive.
- GBThe Sentinel MuseumThe mobile Sentinel Museum preserves the unit's history and its yellow bat symbol.
- AUWashington, D.C.The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors all who served in the Vietnam War.
Keep the party going
See the calendar
Celebrate every day, all year
Official gear from the people who track 1,700+ celebrations.
Browse the shop
2027 Wall Calendar, signed by Marlo AndersonSigned by the founder of National Day Calendar.Never miss a reason to celebrate.
One quick morning email with today's celebrations, ideas and posters. Free, unsubscribe anytime.
🎉 You're on the list! Watch your inbox for The Daily Confetti.