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Wisconsin Statistics Regarding World War II Veterans

Thursday, May 26th, 2022 -- 8:19 AM

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.

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. The analysis found that in Wisconsin, 7.7% of the population aged 85 or older served during World War II.

  • Here is a summary of the data for Wisconsin:
  • WWII veteran share of the total veteran population: 3.2%;
  • Total WWII veterans: 10,309; Total veteran population: 319,280.

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

  • WWII veteran share of the 85+ population: 7.7%;
  • WWII veteran share of the total veteran population: 2.9%;
  • Total WWII veterans: 512,607;
  • Total veteran population: 17,835,456.

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Porch’s website: https://porch.com/advice/states-with-most-world-war-ii-veterans

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.