Veteran Facts for Veterans Day

Did you know Veterans Day was first called Armistice Day? Armistice Day officially became a national holiday in 1938 and only celebrated the achievements of veterans from World War I until Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the holiday’s name to Veterans Day. It is now a national holiday honoring all U.S. war veterans.

Each November 11, a national ceremony takes place at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns, which honors the unidentified remains of U.S. soldiers. November 11 is more than just a day off for schoolchildren, a government holiday and a day when the banks are closed. It is the day we remember the sacrifices and the contributions of U.S. veterans.

According to the 2010 American Community Survey, 21.8 million veterans currently live in the United States. Veterans in the U.S. are reflective of all American cultures and genders 1.6 million are women, 2.4 million are black veterans, 1.2 million veterans are Hispanic, 265,000 veterans are Asian, 156,000 are American Indian, 28,000 are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 17.5 million are non-Hispanic white. Currently 9 million veterans are 65 and older while 1.7 million were younger than 35.

U.S. Veterans have served our country proudly in many conflicts. 7.6 million veterans fought in Vietnam from 1964 to 1975. 4.8 million veterans served during the Gulf Wars. 2.1 million veterans served in World War II from 1941-to 1945. 2.6 million veterans served in the Korean War from 1950-1953.

Some veterans have served our county in multiple conflicts 49,500 veterans served in both Vietnam and the Gulf Wars while 54,000 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam era. 837,000 veterans served during both Gulf War eras. 211,000 veterans served during the Korean War and the Vietnam era and 147,000 served during both World War II and the Korean War.

Many veterans prefer warmer states to live. States that have more than 1 million veterans include California with 2 million veterans, Florida with 1.6 million veterans and Texas with 1.6 million veterans. U.S. veterans are well educated in comparison to the total country’s population. Twenty-six percent of U.S. veterans over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree while the total population with a bachelor’s degree or higher is 28 percent. More veterans are high school graduates than the general U.S. population 92 percent of veterans has a high school diploma in comparison to 86 percent of the general U.S. population.

Once out of uniform veterans are still active in their communities. Seventy-one percent of all U.S. veterans cast a ballot in the 2008 presidential election and 57 percent voted in the 2010 congressional elections. U.S. veterans are often entrepreneurs with veteran owned firms comprising an estimated 2.4 million U.S. businesses in 2007. When Americans honor veterans on November 11 with parades and other memorial services remember these citizens not only defend our country but also improve it afterwards through their participation in elections and in business.