As the U.S. honors Veterans Day, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is marking their centennial. Arlington National Cemetery held a ceremony designed to model the original procession, including a visit from President Biden. Over the last two days people from the public also got to lay flowers at the tomb, making it the first time people were welcomed on the Tomb of the Unknown Plaza in almost 100 years. Other cities across the nation also marked the holiday with ceremonies in honor of U.S. troops.

As the nation honors military service members from across the generations, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the number of service members in dropping. As of 2019, more than half of veterans were over 65 years old. 

Will these numbers change now that the war in Afghanistan has ended?

While the total number of U.S. veterans has shrunk over the years, Vietnam veterans remain the largest group in the U.S.. See how they compare to veterans from other wars the U.S. has fought in. Do you know anyone who served during theses times?

Check out The China Report, our new weekly newsletter. Subscribe here!