MEMORIAL DAY

Honoring America’s Wartime Veterans

Total U.S. Selected M = millions

population wartime periods
3.3M served
500,000+ died
1860 Civil War
31.4M 1861–1865
For the Civil War,
exact totals are not
known.
1870
38.6M

“In-theater” refers to the geographic area in which wartime

1880 operations occurred. “Nontheater” refers to all other areas
50.2M worldwide.

1890
63.0M 306,760 served worldwide during conflict/era
Spanish–American 2,446 in-theater and nontheater deaths
WHAT IS War
MEMORIAL DAY? 1900 1898
76.2M 4.7M served
116,516 died
Memorial Day, originally Frank Buckles, last living
1910
called Decoration Day, is 92.2M
World War I veteran, dies in
2011 at the age of 110.
a day of remembrance of World War I
those who died in service 1917–1918
16.1M served
to their country. The holiday 1920 405,399 died
106.0M
was officially proclaimed
in 1868 to honor Union and World War II was the
Confederate soldiers and was 1930 first war to have
more battle deaths
expanded after World War I 123.2M
than deaths from
Number
living
to honor those who died in other causes.1
all wars. Today, Memorial Day 381,114
1940 World War II
honors over one million men 132.2M 1941–1946
5.7M served
and women who have died 54,246 died
in military service since the 1.2M
Korean War
1950
Civil War. 151.3M 1950–1955
1.8M deployed to Korea
This infographic compiles (36,574 died in-theater)
statistics from the U.S. Census 1960 8.7M served
Bureau and Department of 179.3M Vietnam Era 90,220 died 6.2M
Defense to honor our men 1964–1975
and women who have served 3.4M deployed to
1970
in the U.S. armed forces. 203.3M Southeast Asia
The Census Bureau gathers (58,220 died in-theater)
detailed information on living Service totals for Gulf War Era
veterans from the American 1980 5.6M served and later include active duty,
226.5M 13,104 died2 National Guard, and Reserves.
Community Survey (ACS). 3.8M
694,550 deployed to
Private businesses, nonprofits, Southwest Asia during
Gulf War Era
community organizations, 1990 1990–1991 Gulf War
August
and federal, state, and 248.7M
1990–2001
(383 died in-theater)
community leaders use ACS
7.2M served
statistics to determine the 2000 Post 9/11 Era 25,150+ died 3.8M
programs, services, and 281.4M September 2001–
infrastructure that best serve Total deaths include 3.7M deployed to
only active duty and Afghanistan or Iraq
the needs of our veterans. are current through (2001–2021)
2010
The Department of Defense, 308.7M
2021.
(7,036 died in-theater)
Defense Manpower Data Total wounded in
action (any theater):
Center provides statistics on 49,980
the number of people who 2020
331.4M
served and died in each of
our nation’s wars. 1 Deaths include battle deaths (for “in-theater” only), accidents, illness, injury, or other causes.
2 Death totals include only active duty between 1990 and 2001.
Notes: Wartime periods show official dates of U.S. involvement.
Population totals include the territories of Alaska and Hawaii from 1890 to 1950.
Data on troop counts and casualties come from the Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates;
U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center, Defense Casualty Analysis System; U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Affairs.

The U.S. Census Bureau reviewed this data product for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and approved the disclosure
avoidance practices applied to this release. CBDRB-FY22-POP001-0108.
 Wartime Veterans in 2019
American Community Survey

13.6 MILLION
of the 17.5 million living veterans of the U.S. armed forces
served on active duty during a period of war.

Medal of Honor
78%
Male
veterans 22%

77%
Female
veterans 23% The Medal of Honor was created
during the Civil War and is the
Wartime Peacetime only nation’s highest honor for valor
in combat. To date, more than
3,500 Medals of Honor have
been awarded. The only woman
Percent to receive it was Dr. Mary Walker
with a in 1865.
Number of service-
wartime Percent Average connected
veterans female age disability3

381,114

World War II 5.1 94 14.4

1.2M

Korean War 2.9 87 14.5

6.2M

Vietnam Era 3.7 71 26.8

3.8M

Gulf War Era 14.6 51 37.9

3.8M

Post 9/11 Era 16.5 39 41.8

3 “Service-connected disability” means the disability was a result of disease or injury incurred or
aggravated during active military service.
Notes: Data from the ACS include the veteran population 18 years and older who live in the United States
and Puerto Rico.
Periods of military service are not mutually exclusive. Veterans could have served in multiple periods.
More information on the ACS is available at <www.census.gov/acs>.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates.