Every year, Veterans Day is observed on November 11th and honors all the men and women who have served – either during war or peacetime – in the 5 branches of the US military. Here are some interesting facts about the holiday:
Veterans Day was formerly called Armistice Day. It began on the first anniversary of the end of World War I, November 11th 1919.
World War I officially ended in 1918, at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month.
November 11th became a national day of remembrance and holiday in 1938.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name to Veterans Day in 1954.
From 1971-1977, Veterans day was celebrated in October. It was changed back in 1978 thanks to General R. Ford signing Public Law 94-97.
There are approximately 21 million living veterans in the United States, which represents around 6.5% of the U.S. population. Here’s how the numbers breakdown:
16.1 million living veterans served during at least one war.
2 million veterans are women.
Of the 16 million Americans who served during World War II, about 558,000 are still alive.
7 million veterans served during the Vietnam War.
5.5 million veterans served during the Persian Gulf War.
2 million veterans served during the Korean War.
Texas Systems Group would like to say a special “Thank You” to all the brave service men and women, which include five of our very own team members!