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Holocaust photos found in attics and archives help recover lost stories and provide tools against denial

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

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Holocaust photos found in attics and archives help recover lost stories and provide tools against denial

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Jewish deportees march through the German town of Würzburg to the railroad station on April 25, 1942. US Holocaust Memorial Museum, courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration

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U.S. states with the most World War II veterans

U.S. States With the Most World War II Veterans

Photo Credit: Julia Senkevich / Shutterstock

With the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, the U.S. entered its first period of relative peace in two decades. While the U.S. continues to engage in limited military operations in the Middle East and other parts of the world, the drawdown of major military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan closed a major chapter in the nation’s military history.

Ultimately, more than 3 million Americans served in U.S. military operations in the 20 years following the September 11 attacks. But while the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan added a substantial number of veterans to the U.S. population, military service overall has become less common over time. The number of veterans in the U.S. has declined by more than one-third since 2000, from 26.4 million to less than 18 million, and that decline is expected to continue in future decades.

The U.S. population of veterans boomed in the middle of the 20th century, with the introduction of a military draft in 1940 and the beginning of U.S. involvement in World War II the following year. In 1940, only 9% of adults had served in the military, but just one decade later, that figure had more than quadrupled to 37%. Between veterans of WWII, the Korean War in the 1950s, and the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the share of adult veterans peaked at 44% in 1970. Since then, however, the share of veterans has declined each decade. The draft was ended in 1973, and over time, the aging and passing of older generations of veterans has reduced the percentage of former service members.

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The percentage of US veterans continues to decline each decade

When broken out by conflict, the decreases in the veteran population become even more evident. From 2010 to 2020, the total population of veterans in the U.S. declined by nearly 5 million, from 22.6 million to 17.8 million. The ranks of Vietnam and Korean War veterans each dropped by more than 1.5 million over that span, while the decline for World War II veterans totaled more than 2 million. These declines have reduced the overall population of veterans even as the number of veterans from the Gulf War and Post-9/11 wars has grown.

The total veteran population has declined by nearly 5M over the past 10 years

World War II veterans totaled around 500,000 in the U.S. in 2020, and the Census Bureau estimates that by 2030, only 8,000 WWII veterans will remain. These veterans live in every state in the U.S., but large states like California (53,807), Florida (48,220), and New York (31,730) have the largest total counts of WWII veterans. But as a share of the over-85 population, many smaller states have higher proportions of World War II veterans, with as many as 10% of their oldest citizens having served in the war.

California and Florida have the most WWII veterans

The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. To determine the states with the most World War II veterans, researchers at Porch calculated the World War II veteran share of the 85-and-over population. In the event of a tie, the state with the greater World War II veteran share of the total veteran population was ranked higher.

Here are the states with the most WWII veterans.

15. Virginia

Photo Credit: LorraineHudgins / Shutterstock

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14. Missouri

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13. Pennsylvania

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12. Rhode Island

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11. Nevada

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10. Delaware

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9. Ohio

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8. New Mexico

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7. Washington

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6. Idaho

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5. New Hampshire

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4. Montana

Photo Credit: Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock

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3. Maine

Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

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2. Utah

Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

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1. Oregon

Photo Credit: Robert Crum / Shutterstock

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