16 million Americans fought in the Second World War, but their numbers are dwindling today. The US men and women who are involved in this conflict are now in their late 80s or early 90s. US Department of Veterans Affairs reports that just under one million World War II veterans were still alive in 2015. With an average of 362 veterans dying every day, it begs the sad and depressing question: when will the US lose the last of its World War II veterans?
The Department of Veterans Affairs uses a deterministic actuarial projection model to estimate and project the veteran population through the year 2045. The results are shown in the infographic below, which shows that the number of living World War II veterans will steadily decline over the next three decades, with the last veteran expected to die in 2044. This means that time is running out to hear their stories about the war and honour their sacrifices. The last American veteran of the First World WarFrank Buckles, passed away in February 2011.
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