Wednesday Open Line


Today is Veterans Day. It originated on this date in 1919 to commemorate the first anniversary of the end of combat in World War I. Known as Armistice Day, the occasion kept its name and focus until 1954, when it was changed to Veterans Day, and its scope widened to honor veterans from all eras. Across the country, there are almost 20 million military veterans. Very nearly half — 9.3 million — are age 65 and older. The veteran population includes 1.6 million women. Some 6.6 million are Vietnam vets, 2.1 million from the Korean War, and only 1.3 million remain from the 16 million in uniform during World War II. Some 5.2 million veterans served in one or both of the recent Gulf Wars. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.