While many realize that Veterans Day, which always falls on November 11, is a day to honor our veterans, Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day and marked the end of hostilities of World War I that occurred at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month.
Some facts that you may not know:
- Native people have the highest per-capita involvement of any population to serve in the U.S. Military.
- In 1917, though not yet U.S. citizens, more than 10,000 American Indians serve in the U.S. Army and more than 2,000 in the U.S. Navy, according to Bureau of Indian Affairs records.
- According to the U.S. Census Bureau on our nation’s veterans as of 2016, there are 18.5 million veterans in the United States and based on the 2010 Census, it is estimated that over 150,000 veterans identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
- There are no known WWI veterans alive at this time in the United States.
Thank you to all the men and women who have had boots on the ground as peacekeepers for the United States and around the world. We think of you this day and the sacrifices and hardships you have endured for our country.
