Almost every Thursday I present “Thursday Numbers” where I take a look at some of the numbers behind the news.

Since Friday (November 11) is Veterans Day, today’s “Thursday Numbers” will talk about numbers as they pertain to veterans.  Today, and every day, you should thank a veteran…

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs website devoted to Veterans Day:

Veterans Day is intended to thank and honor all those who served honorably in the military – in wartime or peacetime. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living Veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty.

Enjoy Thursday Numbers – Honoring Veterans…

21,800,000

According to my friends at the U.S. Census Bureau, that’s the number of veterans in the United States in 2010 (21.8 million).

15,800,000

According to my friends at the U.S. Census Bureau, that’s the number of veterans (15.8 million) who voted in the 2008 presidential election. Seventy-one percent of veterans cast a ballot in the presidential election.

102,000

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, that’s the number of veterans in Montana as of 09/30/2010.

4,261

That’s how many days this faithful writer served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force before taking the buyout, attending and graduating from college using the G.I. Bill, and becoming fat.

That comes out to 11 years, 7 months, and 29 days. There was no parade…

1989

That’s the year that the Department of Veterans Affairs was established as a Cabinet-level position.  The President at that time was George H.W. Bush – a U.S. Navy veteran.

1954

That’s the year that the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, was dedicated in Arlington, Va.

236

The U.S. Marine Corps was formed 236 years ago today, November 10, 1775.

Happy Birthday Marine Corps!

90

According to the U.S. House of Representatives (as of January 2011) there were 90 U.S. House Members who were military Veterans.  There are 435 members in the U.S. House.

25

According to this article, there were only 25 military Veterans in the U.S. Senate as of January 2011.  There are 100 senators.

22

That’s the number of Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in Montana.  You can view the list HERE.

14.1

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that’s the percent of people 18 and older in Alaska who were veterans in 2010.  The percent of the 18 and older population who were veterans was 12 percent or more in Maine, Montana, Virginia and Wyoming.

11

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ history of Veterans Day:

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In other words, November 11 is Veterans Day.

8

That’s the number of military veterans serving on the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.  There are 26 members total.

7

There has been seven Secretaries of Veterans Affairs.  The current Secretary is retired Army General Eric Shinseki.

4

That’s the number of military veterans serving on the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.   There are 15 members total.

0

There are zero veterans in Montana’s Congressional delegation.

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