Veterans Day, initially known as “Armistice Day,” is a day to honor and celebrate surviving American service members as well as those who have passed. More than 38 million Americans served in the military during the seven major wars the U.S. participated in since 1917 (when the U.S. entered World War I). World War II saw the largest mobilization of American soldiers, with more than 16 million U.S. service members taking part. For comparison, 8.7 million and 5.7 million service members served in the Vietnam and Korean Wars, respectively.