Veterans Day on November 11, 2010,
Finds 21.9 Million Veterans in U.S. to Honor
Female veterans have reached 1.5
million: facts from U.S. Census Bureau
Nov.
9, 2010 - Veterans Day on November 11 originated as Armistice Day on
Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress
passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 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. A national ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at
Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
The
number of black veterans in 2009. Additionally, 1.1 million veterans
were Hispanic; 258,000 were Asian; 153,000 were American Indian or
Alaska Native; 30,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander;
and 17.7 million were 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.)
Source: 2009 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=&_lang=en&_ts=>
Number
of Vietnam-era veterans in 2009. Thirty-five percent of all living
veterans served during this time (1964-1975). In addition, 4.5 million
served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to
present); 2.3 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.7 million in the
Korean War (1950-1953); and 5.6 million in peacetime only.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DatasetMainPageServlet?_program=ACS&_submenuId=&_lang=en&_ts=>
47,000
Number
of living veterans in 2009 who served during the Vietnam era and both
Gulf War eras and no other period.
Other
living veterans in 2009 who served during three wars:
78,000
served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam era.
Living
veterans in 2009 who served during two wars and no other period:
741,000 served during both Gulf War eras.
230,000 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam era.
156,000 served during both World War II and the Korean War.
Number
of veterans who voted in the 2008 presidential election. Seventy-one
percent of veterans cast a ballot, compared with 63 percent of
nonveterans.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008 <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/index.html>
Business
Owners
9%
Percentage of all U.S. firms that are majority owned by veterans.
Veteran-owned firms comprised an estimated 2.4 million of the 27.1
million nonfarm businesses operating in the U.S. in 2007.
Source: Survey of Business Owners: 2007 (Preliminary Results) <http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo>
68%
Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were 55 or older in
2002. This compares with 31 percent of all owners of respondent firms.
Similarly, in 2002, 55 percent of veteran-owned respondent firms with
employees reported that their businesses were originally established,
purchased or acquired before 1990. This compares with 36 percent of all
employer respondent firms.
Source: Characteristics of Veteran Business Owners: 2002 and
Characteristics of Veteran-Owned Businesses: 2002 <http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/business_ownership/cb05-108.html>
Number
of veterans who received compensation for service-connected disabilities
as of 2009. Their compensation totaled $35.3 billion.
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs as cited in the Upcoming
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>
$95.6
billion
Total
amount of federal government spending for veterans benefits programs in
fiscal year 2009. Of this total, $44.7 billion went to compensation and
pensions, $43.4 billion for medical programs and the remainder to other
programs, such as vocational rehabilitation and education.
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs as cited in the Upcoming
Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>
Nov.
9, 2010 - Veterans Day on November 11 originated as Armistice Day on
Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress
passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became
a national holiday beginning in 1938. 