Once again, on this national holiday known as Veterans Day, November 11, 2025, our country pauses to honor the brave men and women who have served in our military.
As I discovered while exploring this subject, which is important to me because I served in the Marine Corps from December 21, 1961, to April 20, 1966, including two tours in Vietnam, the purpose behind this event provides our nation with the chance to reflect, remember, and show gratitude to those who served in the United States military, whether in wartime or peacetime, living or deceased.
For the record, this national holiday – Veterans Day – is vastly different from Memorial Day, the key difference being that Veterans Day is meant to honor living veterans, while Memorial Day specifically honors the men and women who lost their lives serving their country and made the ultimate sacrifice.
Veterans Day was initially called Armistice Day. It commemorated the signing of the agreement that ended World War 1 at 11 A.M. on November 11, 1918.
President Woodrow Wilson celebrated the first Armistice Day in 1919. According to historical records, November 11 was declared a legal holiday by an act of Congress in 1938. In 1954, the federal holiday was changed from “Armistice” to “Veterans” Day.
Although the holiday initially honored those who perished in service of their country, it became a day to honor all those who served in the armed forces of the United States.
How does one thank a veteran for his or her service to their country?
One thing that is not advisable is to say, “Happy Veterans Day,” which is not fitting for one who may have lost friends who died in combat.
“Thank you for your service” is the recommended expression to express one’s gratitude to a veteran.
I had heard that as few as one percent of the United States population had chosen to serve their country’s military over the years.
In fact, according to statistics I found, there are more than 18 million living veterans in the United States at present, which represents approximately six percent of the country’s adult population.
America’s veteran population is becoming younger, more diverse, and is projected to decline significantly over the next few decades, research reveals. Gulf War Era Veterans, approximately 7.8 million, represent 43 percent of the 18 million living veterans in the United States.
They surpass Vietnam-era veterans, who number 4.6 million (30%) of the veteran living population.
Fewer than 120,000 World War II veterans remain. They make up less than one percent of the veteran population.
Of the living veteran population, 78 percent served during wartime, while 22 percent served during peacetime.
By 2048, it is predicted that the number of living veterans will decline from 18.3 to 12.1 million, a decrease of 45 percent.
This decline is attributed to the aging of the veteran population and a decrease in the number of individuals serving in the military.
The veteran population is expected to become more diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity.
Women veterans are expected to increase from 9 percent today to 18 percent by 2048.
Hispanic and Black veterans are also expected to rise.
Hispanic veterans are expected to nearly double from 7 percent to 13 percent, while Black veterans are expected to increase from 13 percent to 15 percent by 2048.
Another increase in numbers is expected to occur in the proportion of young veterans under the age of 50, which is projected to rise from 28 percent to 34 percent by 2048.
In summary, the face of America’s veteran population is changing significantly, with a decline in overall numbers, an increase in diversity, and a shift towards a younger demographic. Those trends will shape the future of veteran services and support systems in the United States.
(Notation: This information came from a series of sources available on the internet. The writer has kept them in case someone wants to challenge the validity of the information contained in this missive.)
