Column on Veterans and Freedom
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Wyoming, consistently known as the least populated state in the United States, has contributed greatly to the freedom of this country. It is also know as providing more service personnel than any other state per capita.
There are 18.8 million veterans in the United States, according to the most recent statistics from the US Census. Currently, according to the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are 50,852 veterans in Wyoming out of the 21.4 million veterans nation wide. Of these, 7.4 percent of the veterans in Wyoming are female. Wyoming has 6,524 veteran-owned businesses.
The largest number of veterans in the nation served during the Vietnam Era or approximately 37 percent. WWII veterans have fallen to about 6-7 percent of the total number of veterans. And as true with WWII veterans, the numbers of the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam era are beginning to thin as time marches on. About 15 percent each are veterans who served in Gulf War I and Gulf War II. About 22 percent of the veterans served during peacetime only.
A while ago, WWII vets were dying 1,000 per day. With much of the “Greatest Generation” now in their 80s and 90s and above, current estimates are the remaining members of this “Greatest Generation” are dying at a rate of approximately 372 a day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs,
Over 16.5 million men and women served in the armed forces during World War II, of whom 291,557 died in battle, 113,842 died from other causes, and 670,846 were wounded. The latest was there are only around 558,000 American veterans from the war estimated to still be alive as of 2017. Within 20 years, the VA estimates, there will no longer be any living veterans from the conflict.
Of the 16,112,566 members of the United States Armed Forces during World War II. There were 291,557 battle deaths, 113,842 other deaths in service (non-theater), and 670,846 non-mortal woundings.
The stories of our veterans’ service began with a promise – to support and defend, at whatever cost, our nation and way of life.
Most veterans made this promise as a young man or woman fresh out of high school or a few years into their futures. They dedicated part of their lives to keep the United States safe because of a love of their country and a sense of duty and sacrifice.
