NOVEMBER 2009 Veterans Day Veterans Day was originally known as, "Armistice Day," on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors living military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation. Check out these statistics concerning this important U.S. holiday! NOTE: Unless specified otherwise, these statistics refer to data gathered in 2007. General There are approximately 23.6 million veterans in the United States. Female Veterans There are 1.8 million female veterans in the United States. Sixteen percent of Gulf War veterans were women. Race and Ethnicity There are about 2.4 million black veterans in the United States. Additionally, 1.1 million veterans are Hispanic; 278,000 are Asian; 165,000 are American Indian or Alaska Native; 27,000 are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 18.7 million are non-Hispanic white. (The numbers for blacks, Asians, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, and non-Hispanic whites cover only those reporting a single race.) When They Served There are 9.3 million veterans 65 and older in the United States. At the other end of the age spectrum, there are 1.9 million veterans younger than 35. There are 7.9 Vietnam-era veterans. Thirty-three percent of all living veterans served during this time (1964-1975). In addition, 5 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 2.9 million in World War II (1941-1945); 3 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 6.1 million in peacetime. There are about 358,000 living veterans who served during both the Vietnam and Gulf War eras. Other living veterans who served during two or more wars: 315,000 served during both the Korean and Vietnam wars. 69,000 served during three periods: World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. 263,000 served during World War II and the Korean War. Where They Live There are five states with 1 million or more veterans: California (2.1 million), Florida (1.7 million), Texas (1.7 million), New York (1.1 million) and Pennsylvania (1.1 million). Education Twenty-five percent of veterans 25 and older have at least a bachelor's degree. Ninety percent of veterans 25 and older have a high school diploma or higher. Income and Poverty The annual median income of veterans is $36,053. The percentage of veterans living in poverty is 5.7 percent. The corresponding rate for non-veterans is 12 percent. On the Job There are approximately 10.7 million veterans 18 to 64 in the labor force. Disabilities There are six million veterans with a disability. Voting The number of veterans who voted in the 2004 presidential election was 17.4 million. Seventy-four percent of veterans cast a ballot, compared with 63 percent of non-veterans. Fourteen million veterans voted in the 2006 congressional election. About 61 percent of veterans cast a ballot, compared with 46 percent of non-veterans. Benefits About 2.7 million veterans received compensation for service-connected disabilities as of 2006. Their compensation totaled $28.2 billion. The total amount of federal government spending for veterans benefits programs in fiscal 2006 was $72.8 billion. Of this total, $34.6 billion went to compensation and pensions, $33.7 billion for medical programs and the remainder to other programs, such as vocational rehabilitation and education.   SOURCE: Press Release. "Facts for Features. Veteran's Day 2008: Nov. 11." October 16, 2008. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/012781.html Disclaimer: Although we try to use the most credible sources, we are not responsible for any incorrect findings. Read more: October Statistics - Disabilities in the Workplace October Statistics - Italian Americans September Statistics - Hispanic Americans "Census changes reflect diversity" By Elizabeth MacGillivray "Cultural insights: Everyone judges from experience" By Craig Storti Want more statistics on a variety of topics? Find more in the Cultural Diversity at Work Archive or the Diversity Statistics page

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