Community Corner
Veterans Day 2012 Interesting Facts
Veterans Day is Nov. 11 and the holiday will be observed Nov. 12.
As you enjoy your day off for the Veterans Day holiday, here are a few facts to remind you why you get to sleep in this morning.
The following facts were compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau:
Veterans Day 2012: Nov. 11
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Veterans Day 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 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.
Veterans
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21.5 million
The number of military veterans in the United States in 2011.
1.6 million
The number of female veterans in 2011.
2.3 million
The number of black veterans in 2011. Additionally, 1.2 million veterans were Hispanic; 264,695 were Asian; 153,223 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 27,469 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 17.2 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.)
9.2 million
The number of veterans 65 and older in 2011. At the other end of the age spectrum, 1.8 million were younger than 35.
When They Served
7.5 million
Number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2011: 5.1 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 1.8 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.4 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 5.4 million in peacetime only.
51,079
Number of living veterans in 2011 who served during the Vietnam era and both Gulf War eras and no other period.
Other living veterans in 2011 who served during three wars:
43,942 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam era.
Living veterans in 2011 who served during two wars and no other period:
876,663 served during both Gulf War eras.
205,205 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam era.
129,972 served during both World War II and the Korean War.
3
Number of states with 1 million or more veterans in 2011. These states were California
(1.9 million), Florida (1.6 million) and Texas (1.6 million).
14.0%
Percent of people 18 and older in Alaska who were veterans in 2011. The percent of the 18-and- older population who were veterans was 12 percent or more in Maine, Montana, Virginia and Wyoming.
Education
26.3%
Percent of veterans 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree in 2011. In comparison,
28.5 percent of the total population had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
92.3%
Percent of veterans 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2011, compared with
86 percent of the population as a whole.
Income
$35,821
Annual median income of veterans, in 2011 inflation-adjusted dollars, compared with
$25,811 for the population as a whole.
On the Job
9.1 million
Number of veterans 18 to 64 in the labor force in 2011.
Disabilities
3.5 million
Number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating. Of this number, 810,245 have a rating of 70 percent or higher. Severity of one’s disability is scaled from 0 to 100 percent and eligibility for compensation depends on one’s rating.
Voting
15.8 million
Number of veterans who voted in the 2008 presidential election. Seventy-one percent of veterans cast a ballot in the presidential election.
12.4 million
Number of veterans who voted in the 2010 congressional election. Fifty-seven percent of veterans voted in the 2010 congressional election.
Business Owners
9%
Percentage of all U.S. nonfarm firms that are majority owned by veterans. Veteran-owned firms comprised an estimated 2.4 million of the 27.1 million nonfarm businesses nationwide in 2007.
75%
Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were 55 or older in 2007. This compares with 37 percent of all owners of respondent firms. Similarly, in 2007, 56 percent of veteran-owned respondent firms with employees reported that their businesses were originally established before 1990. This compares with 39 percent of all employer respondent firms.
8%
Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were disabled as the result of injury incurred or aggravated during active military service.
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